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4 







LILLIAN; 


OB, 


WOMAlf’S EJfDURAifCE. 


A NARRATIVE CONNECTED WITH THE EARLY HISTORY OF CANADA 
and the AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 


BY 

f 

CHARLES''SHRIMPT0N. 

y ** 

V ^ cJiitx. \Jk 





N. TIBBALS & CO., 

3Y Park Row and 145 Nassau Street. 


0 ^ 


1868 . 


Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, 

By CHARLES SHRIMPTON, 

In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
Southem District of New York. 


NOTICES 


New York, Sept. 1, 1868. 

'.ev. N. Tibbels. 

I may say that the Canadian romance entitled “ Lillian ; or, 
Woman’s Endurance,” was read by myself and wife, and pronounced 
(Tery readable. The scenes and characters are well drawn ; the 
events mostly natural ; the style is clear and fluent, and the moral 
purpose and tendency of the work excellent. It is worthy of any 
publishing house in the country. 

D. D. Whedon, D. D. 


• The author has drawn out his story with great naturalness, and 
80 describes his characters as to lead the reader to take special 
interest in them. The style of his book is, therefore, attractive. 
He has, also, written with a high moral purpose; and those who 
Atudy his scenes and incidents wiU have their aspirations for a noble 
t’e-work increased . — Christian Advocate. 


V 


PEELIMINAET. 


In the publication of the work here presented to the 
reader, the author has been actuated by no selfish pur- 
pose. The thought of principal importance in issuing 
a book for general perusal should be — what will be the 
probable influence it will exert : is it trashy in its na- 
ture, or vicious in its spirit ; will it offend or corrupt 
the moral sense, or to any extent injure the intellect, by 
debasing it with impure thoughts and demoralizing im- 
agery ? Or, on the contrary, is it, in design and execu- 
tion, adapted, by its portrayal of character, to give a 
winning beauty to virtue, and to exert a controlling in- 
fluence for good on the mind of the Reader ? Is it, in a 
word, such a production, that parents can place it in the 
hands of their children with the conviction that, while 
they will be interested and informed, they will receive 
no detriment from its perusal ? The author, conscious 
of his rectitude in this regard, leaves his, work to win its 
way to public favor, rather by its intrinsic character 
and moral value, than by any pretensions.to literary ex- 
cellence. 


LILLIAN; 

OR. WOMAN’S ENDDEANCE. 


CHAPTER 1. 

On one of those stormy nights that can perhaps b(5 
experienced only in Lower Canada, when it is impossible 
to judge with certainty how soon the wind will veer, or 
from which point of the compass it will next come, — the 
snow driving with a fury and an impetuosity that may 
emphatically be termed Canadian, or whirling in every 
direction in eddies, large and small, according to the size 
of the obstruction that diverts it or impedes its progress, 
and in places forming drifts that must be seen to fully 
realize their magnitude, — while such a storm is raging, 
we will enter one of those snug and comfortable white- 
washed cottages in the neighborhood of the Quebec 
Barracks, in the city of Montreal, as it appeared in the 
latter part of the last century. But before doing so we 
will take a cursory glance at its exterior. 

A substantial edifice, known as a frame-building, 
erected with an eye to shelter its occupants from the 
biting blast of such a night as this, with its tight-fitting 
doors and window-frames and double sashes, with all 
the outside joints and interstices well plastered over, 


6 


LILLIAN; OR, 


it was well adapted to keep Jack Frost at bay. The 
building was what might be called a story and a half, 
with four dormer windows in the high, steep-slanting 
roof, and four windows below, two on each side of the 
door. The door was sheltered from the snow by a tem- 
porary porch, with outside door. This porch was in- 
tended for winter use only, and would be removed in 
early spring. At some distance, in front of the building, 
there was a painted picket-fence, which enclosed a nicely 
laid out flower-garden ; but nothing of this could be seen 
on the night in question, owing to the deep covering of 
snow. In the rear of the building was a spacious yard, 
with stable, coach-house, wood-shed, and all other con- 
veniences comporting with respectability. On the front 
door was a brass knocker, with a neatly engraved door- 
plate, bearing the name of ‘‘ Captain Walters,” — these at 
all times being kept scrupulously clean and bright. 
The doors and windows, as also the picket-fence, were 
painted a light green. The whole of the exterior ap- 
pearance of the place would impress the mind of the be- 
holder that comfort and neatness of no common order 
reigned within. On entering the cottage, this impression 
would be increased by the unmistakable evidences that 
woman’s hand and eye, and taste of no ordinary grade, 
had been at work, not less by the quantity or quality of 
the articles there presented to view, than by the skill 
displayed in the arrangement and disposition of shade 
and color, and in the classification. 

We shall not describe the material or color of the nice 
curtains, the elaborate pattern of the rich Turkey car- 
pet, or the kind of wood of which the varied furniture 
was made, or the ingenious workmanship and costly 




woman’s endurance. 


7 


carving of the same. All these things must be judged 
of from the taste and character of the occupants, as they 
become more fully developed in our narrative. SuflSce 
it to say, that one of the most important and conspicu- 
ous objects, to our taste, was a very neat bookcase of 
no mean dimensions, and filled to its utmost capacity 
with a choice and well-selected library. The proprietors 
must have been no mean linguists, judging from the 
array of works in the modern as well as the ancient 
languages there represented ; while, from the wide 
range of subjects embraced in the higher branches of 
science and literature, they must, in every sense of the 
word, be well read and highly tutored. In the room on 
the other side of the entrance hall there was an elegant 
piano, from one of the most celebrated London makers ; 
and a large assortment of music lay close at hand, on a 
small table. In the centre of each of the rooms there 
was the ever-present and essential requisite, in that laud 
of frost and snow, the large, square, Canadian stove, and 
near by, a large box full of hard maple firewood. 

This hasty glance at the exterior and interior of the 
dwelling, will give us some crude idea of the standing, 
the characters, and the tastes of the occupants. Now, 
on the evening already alluded to, in one of those rooms 
there sat a female. She had just left her piano, and 
was' about to take up her sewing. On the work-table 
there stood a beautiful branch candlestick, with four 
wax candles. It might be seen, at a glance, that she 
was a person of no ordinary character ; in every sense 
of the word, a true woman. We are not going to de- 
scribe her eyes, though they were the blackest of the 
black, steady and penetrating — possessing, at the same 


8 


LILLIAN; OR, 


time, an expression of soft and melting tenderness. Nor 
shall we give a long, glowing word-picture of her hair, 
though it was of the richest luxuriance, and glossy raven 
hue, with a slight tendency to curl. Her form was 
plump and finely rounded ; her countenance expressive, 
and exhibiting high intelligence, calm and placid when 
at rest, but often lighted up by a most bewitching smile, 
and then wit and wisdom would hold high revel on her 
lips, although, at all times, she displayed more than com- 
mon firmness. Her stature was rather above the medium 
height, with a nice adjustment of breadth ; her step 
was clean ; and, in fact, her every movement mani- 
fested refinement and grace. Her voice, manner, coun- 
tenance, and deportment showed very clearly to ‘the ob- 
server that more than an ordinary amount of sorrow had 
fallen to her lot. Holding her sewing in her hand, as 
though in a state of hesitancy, casting a momentary and 
furtive glance towards the window, as though listening 
for the sound of some expected footfall, then consulting 
the elegant gold watch that she had just taken from her 
girdle, she looked, with a steady gaze, at the light of 
the wax tapers, as though revolving some weighty sub- 
ject in her mind ; and ever and anon a deep-drawn sigh 
would escape her, which would heave her bosom and 
give still greater dimensions to her well-developed 
form. 

At length there was the sound of the opening wicket, j 
and the well-known cough — sure notice, and welcome 
password to the inner citadel of that true woman’s heart ' 
— and, quick as thought, with an elastic bound, she was 
at the door, and the bolt withdrawn. Be not afraid, ye 
loving couple, for it is not our purpose to say one word^ 


woman’s endurance. 


9 


•^-bout that or any other of your fond greetings 1 But 
she did say — 

“ 0 Robert, I am so glad that you are cone I What 
a night is this to be out, and you so ill able to bear it I” 

“ Yes, my Eliza, it is ; but you know that garrison 
duty must be attended to, let it be foul or fair weather.’’ 

“ Oh, yes, I do know all that ; but I know, also, that 
you are not so able as you used to be to stand such ex- 
cessive fatigue, before you were so severely wounded, 
and your long sickness in consequence.” 

“ Well, I do feel a little the worse for wear on that 
account ; but I trust that time and patience, and the 
blessing of God seconding your very affectionate nurs- 
ing, will eventually bring all right again with me.” 

“ Oh, I know that you are always so patient, Robert, 
and not given to complaining, however much you may 
suffer ; but does not this very severe cold night affect 
you, and cause your wounds to be more painful ?” 

“ Rather painful, my dear ; but you know that a sol- 
dier must with courage live, or must with courage 
die.” 

“ Yes, my dear Robert ; but it is not only that kind of 
courage that will nerve the arm in the deadly conflict 
with the foe, or even to do bravely the arduous duties 
of life, that is necessary, but that more difficult bravery, 
to take a bold and decided stand on the side of virtue 
and the cause of God.” 

“ Oh, yes ; I feel that every day of my life. I know 
that it is far easier to brave death at the cannon’s 
mouth, or to encounter the storm and tempest on such 
a night as this in the performance of our most arduous 
duties, than to contend with the vain and vicious, or to 

1 * 


10 


LILLIAN; OR 


bear up against their supercilious laugh or cutting 
jests ; but if they did it to the green tree, will they not 
also do it to the dry ?” 

“ Yes, my dear Robert, that is true ; and with so 
bright and so beautiful an example before us, ought we 
not to bear the cross, as seeing Him who is invisible 

“ Certainly, my own Eliza ; and, when seeing Him by 
the eye of faith, it lightens the burden, because He bears 
the heaviest portion with us. 

“ And although our good name may be evil spoken 
of, and the cold and piercing blast may rage without, 
if we have peace of conscience and conjugal love at 
home, with the smile of Heaven to cheer our hearts, we 
may then bravely dare and do, and leave all the conse- 
quences to God. But now, my dear Eliza, we will join 
in the evening hymn of praise to Him who has led us 
by a way that we knew not, and then, by prayer and 
supplication, commit our way to Him, and crave His 
fatherly help and guidance for the future. 


woman’s endurance. 


11 


CHAPTER IL 

The last chapter closed with a portrayal of the calm 
and peaceful termination of the day in the dwelling of 
Captain Walters. We will now introduce the reader to 
a very different scene. It is the officers’ mess-room of 
the same regiment to which Captain Walters belonged. 

The band of the regiment, under the able leadership 
of the German bandmaster, had just closed their exer- 
cises for the evening, as usual, with the national air of 
“ God save the King.” The officers had just partaken 
of a sumptuous repast, which term it is intended shall 
convey a more than ordinary significance ; for each of 
the gentlemen composing that company may be sup- 
posed to occupy a high position as to his capacity, judg- 
ing from the quality and quantity of the viands placed 
before them, and the amount of culinary skill expended 
in their preparation. And any defect or deficiency as 
to either, or in the manipulation of the French cook, 
would have been detected by the veriest tyro present ; 
and then, judging from the antecedents of the parties, 
could any flaw have been detected, they were not the 
men to allow it to pass unnoticed, or, however innocent 
the man or trifling the cause, to suffer any fault or de- 
ficiency to pass unreproved ; nor did they, under any 
circumstance, use the most gentle or refined language. 
For these gentlemen (we had almost said these men, 
but perhaps that term might be considered discourteous 


12 


LILLIAN; OR, 


on our part, which it is our wish to avoid ; we know, 
however, that there is often a wide difference between 
the term, as well as the real character of “ man’^ and 
“ gentleman,” but it is not our purpose to discuss 
here that question, or to canvass on which side of 
the scale preponderates real worth, but simply to no- 
tice the supposed antecedents of these gentlemen), de- 
scended from the ranks of the old aristocratic families 
of England. They had, of course, been deeply imbued 
with the. exalted notions of class privileges held at the 
date to which we are now alluding. They had been, 
from earliest infancy, held aloof from contact with what 
they were pleased to call the lower orders. 

As a general thing, they traced the line of their an- 
cestry to the companions in arms of William, the Con- 
queror of England ; hence it was presumed that a purer 
blood flowed in their veins than in the veins of the 
common people ; while, as a privileged class, they held 
a monopoly in the few leading seats of learning then 
in the land, which had the tendency to still more widen 
the chasm above alluded to. They had also, from time 
far back in the history of the nation, laid special claim, 
as a not to be disputed right, to all places of trust and 
emolument both in Church and State ; all tending to the 
result of an oppressive and extravagant government 
and a bigoted and an intolerant Church, while the 
masses of the people were neglected, ignorant, and im- 
moral. 

Then we may naturally suppose that these gentlemen 
would not be much improved in their morals when 
relieved of the very slight restraints that may have 
held them while under the parental roof, and of the 


woman’s endukance. 


13 


loose curb that restrained their rampant passions while 
under tutors, they having now become, in a great meas- 
ure, the arbiters of their own actions. And when we 
consider that the younger part had been successively 
thrown into the company of those already schooled by 
thorough culture among these fashionable rakes, and 
the aptness also of the young to copy from those older 
than themselves, especially in the darker shades of 
character — their pertness and wish to shine — it is not 
difficult to conceive of their ability to contribute their 
share in supplying fuel to this seething cauldron of 
fashionable vice. 

From a necessarily hasty and general view of the 
company now before us, as they appear in the officers^ 
mess-room, and from general appearances, we judged 
that they were a goodly and noble-looking company. 
We will, however, be more special and personal in our 
survey and remarks, and endeavor with an impartial 
judgment to portray the personal appearance of a few, 
and to sketch their moral character ; for that, after all, 
is our main object and aim. 

Of course, the highest in point of office must claim 
our first regard, and for other reasons than merely being 
the highest in office. He appeared to be the oldest, and 
had no doubt been a dashing fellow in his time. The 
Colonel bore all the marks of being a man of the world 
and a highly polished gentleman, easy and afl’able in 
his manners among his compeers, and, at will, could 
throw just enough of hauteur into his bearing to be- 
speak at all times due deference and respect from all the 
officers in the regiment under his command ; but he 
held in supreme contempt any and every person who in 


14 


LILLIAN; OB, 


any way attempted to question the dignity or t'ae respec- 
tability of his office. He was tall in stature, noble in 
his figure and general carriage ; with an eye large, 
clear, dark in color, and penetrating ; a prominent Ro- 
man nose ; a deeply bronzed countenance, with all the 
indications of having seen much and severe service. 
But there had been other influences at work, that had 
most seriously affected that fine and noble frame, than 
had been encountered in the service of his country. 
He had been a valetudinarian — his fine constitution had 
been emaciated by his vices far more than by the hard 
professional service that he had seen ; and, to use a sig- 
nificant expression, he was indeed a patched-up man. 
Gambling and wine were the deities at whose shrine he had 
been a most devout worshipper ; and withal he had been 
no inattentive votary at the more material, but perhaps 
not less enervating, cuisine delicacies. Now he was tor- 
mented with gout, together with a legion of other dis- 
eases, that caused him to totter on in the imbecility of 
a premature old age ; notwithstanding which, the fires 
of former dissipation still smouldered within him, and 
the smirking frivolities which would but ill become even 
the boy not out of his teens, subjected him to the ridi- 
cule and contempt of all true admirers of manly virtue. 

The next to be presented, in the order of rank, is the 
major. This gentleman was a kind of nondescript : had 
a large, full face, with an unmeaning expression, blotched 
all over, the natural result of vicious indulgence ; a 
remarkably wide mouth, and large, protruding lips ; 
with a tongue far too big even for his capacious mouth, 
so that, when he spoke, it gave a kind of abrupt and 
uneven blurt to his expression. To add still more to 


woman’s endueance. 


15 


the ludicrous, he was at all times a loud, vociferous 
talker, even on the most trivial subject, if any thing 
that he ever spoke of could be dignified by that term ; 
for, in general, his conversation was shallow and trifling 
in the extreme, and, to use a well-known expression, 
uttered as though he had plums in his mouth ; to which 
might be added, for aught we know to the contrary, a 
quantity of thick, sticky fluid in his throat, so that his 
voice resembled a sound between a mumble and a gur- 
gle. He had a large, ungainly person, surmounting a pair 
of feet that appeared to have been fastened to the wrong 
owner ; and even that but lately, as he had not yet ar- 
rived at a just appreciation of their use for straightfor- 
ward locomotion. Nor did it only appear that these 
feet had been misapplied as to person : there seems to 
have been another grand mistake, for they were not an 
exact pair by a very long way. But, notwithstanding 
all these peculiarities, he was evidently a general favor- 
ite among the whole of the officers and men of the regi- 
ment, although each paid his attentions to him from/ 
different and widely divergent motives. One thing was 
certain, that he was one of the best-tempered men, inoffen- 
sive, and of an amiable disposition. The keen, pointed 
witticism, the plain, coarse, rude joke, might be flung at 
him ; his person or manners might be ridiculed and bur- 
lesqued : still he was always ready with as hearty a 
laugh as the most hilarious or joyous and fun-loving 
spirit present. He was also very wealthy ; and , who 
ever yet lost the chance of flattering a rich fool, where 
any thing might be made out of him by the operation ? 
He had been the spoiled child of his mother, and in his 
youthful days had spent most of his time in company of 


16 


LILLIAN; OB, 


the ladies. At the time of which we are writing’, he 
seldom lost an opportunity of attending their social 
parties ; or of accompanying them, or rather they accom- 
panying him, in their rides to view the grand and pic- 
turesque scenery in the neighborhood of Montreal, — all of 
which were at his expense. Most of his lady acquaint- 
ances knew just what kind of a smile would reach his 
kind and tender heart ; and, in their strolls past the few 
stores that were then to be found in St. Paul street or 
Notre Dame street, they knew that it was necessary 
only to admire that beautiful love of a silk dress, or 
that very handsome hat or bonnet, in a half-careless, 
nonchalant way, to draw upon his purse, as well as to 
reach his heart. And so great was his infatuation 
with the ladies, that, if all the kings of Christendom had 
made the most urgent demands for his presence, there 
would not have been one short moment necessary to in- 
duce him to decide in their favor. It was certain, how- 
ever, that the king’s service was never known to suffer 
much from his absence, and equally so that the same 
was never much benefited by his presence. The in- 
quiry might justly be made. What on earth brought 
him at all into the British army ? Why, the same cause 
that, from time to time, has brought others. It was, 
perhaps, first of all, his own wish or whim ; and he 
being thought, by his powerful friends, and especially 
his wealthy and titled mother, too great a fool for the 
church, he was, by a well-conceived but private under- 
standing, foisted upon the army. Through the influence 
of his friends at headquarters he had been, from time to 
time, promoted over the heads of the really talented and 
meritorious, but who had no friend at “ court.” Now 


woman’s endurance. 


17 


that he was in the highway of promotion, from these 
and such-like causes, he could not fail to be borne on- 
ward from rank to rank, without the least thought or 
effort of his own, until he attained the elevated position 
of general, although many doubted his ever making a 
Marlborough. 

Not the least remarkable of the members of this 
mess-room company was Captain Andrews, a gentleman 
of very few words. His eyes looked unutterable things 
— keen, penetrating, and searching, as though capable 
of reading one through and through. At the first ap- 
proach of any person, there appeared to be a kind of 
slow, calculating process going on in his own mind, as 
though taking the full mental and moral measure of the 
man for his ulterior use and benefit, and which, by his 
own mental culture, he seemed well calculated to ac- 
complish. And when he had apparently finished the 
process in his own mind, he seemed to exercise great 
caution and wariness, like the stealthy approaches of a 
cat. Aiming to gain your good opinion, and firmly se- 
cure your confidence, with oily words, and soft insinu- 
ating manners, a stranger to him would be led to sup- 
pose that he was a man of undoubted probity. In any 
and all cases of difficulty he seemed to be perfectly at 
home ; for, with native shrewdness and sagacity, he 
would at once take in the length and breadth of the sub 
ject brought before him, and give his advice as though 
prompted by inspiration, — the inspiration being proper- 
tionably quickened where it was likely to bring grist to 
his own mill. His own personal interests seemed to be 
the grand moving impulse of his entire nature ; he 
appeared to be completely absorbed in self. His whole 


18 


LILLIAN; OR, 


manhood presented something of the qualities of the 
magnet, in its mysterious workings of positive and neg- 
ative poles, as there was, indeed, an irresistible law 
that urged his whole being in the direction where gold 
was to be gained. And he was repelled as powerfully 
from the opposite direction, where there was the least 
probability of a draw upon his purse. There was no 
soft spot in his heart that was ever known to yield to 
the plaint of the suffering child of want. He was of 
rather a tall, thin, wiry frame ; harsh features, sunken 
cheeks, and very deep-set eyes, and large, overhanging 
eyebrows ; of a yellowish, jaundiced-like complexion ; 
head inclined a little forward when walking, or, rather, 
his forward movement was between a walk and a creep, 
as though he was always on the lookout for something 
that he feared to meet. He had something of the cast 
of the Jew in his character, being always on hand where 
there was a needy borrower who had ample security to 
tender ; and the amount of interest that he would demand 
was never regulated by any considerations suggested 
by conscience. 

Lieutenant Broughton was a man of quite an opposite 
character to that of Captain Andrews. This man was 
utterly reckless of person, property, and character ; his 
disposition was at once vengeful and cruel, with appa- 
rently no more feeling than the nether millstone — utterly 
regardless of all evil consequences that might follow 
either to himself or to others from his outrageous con- 
duct. He was almost always in difficulties with his 
brother officers, the subalterns, or private men in his 
company, or with some of the civilians with whom he 
might have any dealings. Although he had many 


woman’s endurance. 19 

\Tealthy relatives, who held high office under govern- 
ment, and a very rich father, who allowed him a hand- 
some sum over and above his pay, yet, from his spend- 
thrift conduct, he was almost always without cash in 
his pocket or at his command. His position as an officer 
in the British army gave him at once character and in- 
fluence in the community, and with any of the trades- 
people wherever the regiment might be stationed ; but 
their confidence was pretty sure to be abused by his 
reckless purchases, and then in his equal recklessness 
in fulfilling his promises to pay — and very many were 
his victims. In this way, poor but honest hard-working 
mechanics, it might be with small capital but large 
families, were often irretrievably involved. He would 
purchase a valuable carriage or a set of harness, which 
he would use for a short time, and then, when deterio- 
rated perhaps more than half their value, for some 
frivolous pretext he would return them to the maker 
wdihout any recompense ; so derelict was he to all moral 
principle. His haughty and imperious manners to those 
with whom he came in contact, plainly told how deeply 
he was impressed with the consciousness of his own 
greatness, and that the whole world was bound to ren- 
der him the most abject obedience ; while, at the same 
time, he was a complete sycophant to his superiors. 
With a frame tall and full, he was a fine commanding per- 
son ; and his face was handsome, of which it might be 
seen he was not a little vain. He had the voice of a 
lion, and a kind of dare-devil spirit to correspond. W oe 
be to the poor unhappy being who came within the 
lash of his ire I 

Lieutenant Darlington was one of the youngest mem- 


20 


LILLIAN; OR, 


bers of the mess-room, and quite a curiosity in his way : 
of rather a small figure, his nose large and sharp- 
pointed, face thin and long, without a single good fea- 
ture in his countenance. His head was far too large, in 
proportion to the size of his body, and placed upon a 
pair of shoulders whose outlines presented no very strong 
claims to beauty. His arms were too long, and dangling : 
at the ends of these were a pair of clumsy hands, awk- 
ward in the extreme, and jerking in all their motions. 
His legs, what there was of them, were too close at the 
knees and far too wide apart at the feet, to be any thing 
like graceful in their movements ; while the toes were 
outward bound. He would have been a very useful 
companion in the fields at early morning, when the dew 
was heavy on the grass, for the great breadth that 
would be swept over by his wide-set feet would clear 
the grass of the dew, so that one might follow him in 
the same path with comparatively dry boots. He was 
most fastidious as to the placing and appearance of his 
frowsy red hair, and the cut of his scarcel}’^ perceptible 
whiskers. His boots always of the most jet-black pol- 
ish ; his clothes of the latest cut and of the extremest 
fashion ; his French hat placed in the most jaunty way 
upon his head ; furnished with gold-headed cane, and 
eye-glass stuck fast over one of his little twinking gray 
eyes, and held there by the contraction of the upper and 
lower muscles of the face ; — thus fully decked and 
trimmed, he issued forth as though he had just stepped 
out of a bandbox. Redolent with choice odors, he was 
like Milton’s angel, who shook his plumes and filled the 
circuit wide with rich perfume. It was clear to the 
dullest perception that he considered himself a perfect 


woman’s endurance. 


21 


lady-killer, and supposed himself to be the observed of 
all observers. Indeed so he was, and he comported him- 
self accordingly. And it was quite amusing to observe 
the way in which he would wink and smirk at the fe- 
males as he passed them in the street, the boldness and 
the effrontery with which he would peer under their 
bonnets, and the pert yet unmeaning remarks that he 
would pass upon them to his companion. But he was 
an officer in the service of his Britannic Majesty, and 
that, like charity, was sufficient to cover a multitude of 
faults and failings. 

There was one person whom we would not wish to 
overlook, or have it supposed that we slighted him in 
the most distant way, as, by the position he occupied 
and the sacred character of his office, he certainly should 
have been the first noticed in our sketches ; but, how- 
ever, better late than never. 

This gentleman was no less a person than the Kev. 
James Wilson, M. A., chaplain of the regiment. Edu- 
cated at the celebrated University of Oxford, it might 
have been said, so far as literary attainments were in 
question, that he did very high honor to his Alma Mater. 
He was a son of a poor, or, rather, a comparatively 
poor man, who held the office of under-steward to a 
very wealthy nobleman in one of the midland counties 
of England. 

This son of the noblemaffs steward had been a very 
smart and intelligent boy in the village school, and had 
made such progress in all the departments of learning 
therein taught, that he had attracted the special notice 
of the village clergyman, who was ever ready to assist 
him in his higher studies, and so prepare him for col- 


22 


LILLIAN; OR, 


lege, if that could by any possibility be brought about ; 
which, by his friendly interest and influence with the 
said nobleman, in whose service young Wilson's father- 
then was, was happily accomplished ; for it so happened 
that this nobleman had a younger son who was on the 
eve of going to Oxford to complete his education, and 

the noble Lord H concluded that he would be at 

the expense of young Wilson’s education on the very 
easy condition that he would be a kind of waiting-man 
on this scion of nobility during his stay at this cele- 
brated seat of learning. Thus the whole thing was soon 
arranged, so far as young Wilson was concerned ; for 
when a young man of a lively imagination and an ar- 
dent temperament is thirsting after knowledge, every 
avenue that may open up to his laudable ambition will 
be considered by him as something like a god-send. 
The preliminaries — so far as the understanding of the 
conditions, and the necessary preparations and outfit for 
the life-journey of these young aspirants after fame and 
honors — were soon completed, and the happy pair com- 
fortably domiciled in the ancient and grim city of silk 
gowns and tassellcd square caps. 

At the same time, it is most true that these young men 
were not fairly mated as to their dispositions and gen- 
eral tastes, and the means at their disposal for gratify- 
ing their inclinations ; but this inequality might, per- 
haps, prove to be no great detriment to young Wilson’s 
advancement in learning. Suffice it to say, that the im- 
periousness of the one was very prudently and com- 
mendably submitted to by the other ; for the very good 
reason, that, to have been in the least degree refractory, 
might have proved the literary death of the one who 


woman’s endueance. 


23 


would most keenly have felt the stroke that cut off for- 
ever his brightest hopes. His mental and moral tuition 
and restraint had, doubtless, a lifelong influence on 
young Wilson’s mind, as it so far removed all the 
rougher asperities of his nature, and smoothed down the 
inequalities of his naturally ardent temperament, that 
he ever after continued one of the most docile of men. 
But, as a first-class education is not considered complete 
without two years’ travel on the continent of Europe, 
at the close of his studies at college, this young noble- 
man commenced his journeyings, and chose his fellow- 
student as his companion. Here again jmung Wilson 
considered himself favored by fortune in being selected 
as the travelling companion of his college associate. 
At the termination of their travels, it was the purpose of 

Lord H to place his son as an officer in the British 

army, and it so happened that the regiment selected for 
that purpose was the one now before us. In his intro- 
duction to the regiment, this son of noble parentage was 
received and treated with great and marked respect, 
and high deference, befitting his powerful connections, 
was paid to him ; yet he felt isolated and alone, all the 
officers being utter strangers to him. He, perhaps for 
the first time in his life, inwardly experienced the want 
of a familiar face, and a longing for an associate, even 
should his position be somewhat lower than that held by 
himself. Who should be so naturally suggested to his 
mind as the young literary companion of his college 
life and travels? Though not his equal in position as 
to birth or wealth, he might be raised to respectability 
by the influence of his father, by becoming the chaplain 
of the regiment to which he belonged ; and thus the 


24 


LILLIAN; OR, 


sacred office would at once give him something like 
equality, that would be tacitly acknowledged on all 
hands. The young officer, turning this subject over in 
his mind, was not long in acting on the suggestion ; 
and the first expression of his wish to his noble and 
indulgent parent, was promptly responded to by him, 
and joyfully acceded to by this sprig of divinit3^ 

The reader may by this time be supposed to be suffi- 
ciently acquainted with the antecedents of the Eev. 
James Wilson, M. A., chaplain of the regiment, who was 
consequently an acknowledged member, ex officio, of the 
regimental mess-room. He had been very remarkable, 
from his early youth, for his staid and demure deport- 
ment ; but, since the sacred character of clergyman had 
been added to that of student, it had seemed to add a 
proportionate degree of stiff, consequential dignity to 
his general bearing. His words were few, cold, and 
formal ; his dress was without a wrinkle, and close- 
fitting ; his coat had the military-clerical cut, and was 
buttoned close up to the chin ; and, with his stiff-starched 
white cravat, it appeared as though he had completely 
lost the use of that beautiful appendage of nature in his 
neck, the universal joint, for if any object presented it- 
self to him, either on the right hand or the left, the head 
could not by any possibility make an independent move- 
ment — the whole frame had to go simultaneously with 
it. It could not but appear to the close observer that 
there had been one grand radical defect in his educa- 
tion — his head had been cultivated at the expense of 
his heart ; in fact, he seemed to have no heart, no affec- 
tion, no sympathy, while, at the same time, the sacred 
office which he had assumed was continually making 


woman’s endurance. 


25 


demands on his heart for sympathy and commiseration. 
But the wounded, the diseased, the sick, the dying, 
were all treated in a cold official manner ; and in his 
pastoral visits to such, having read his prayers accord- 
ing to the prescribed ritual, he would feel a self-satis- 
faction, and depart, persuaded that he had fully done 
his duty. He appeared to be totally unaware that his 
patients had understanding, that they had feeling, 
or that they had any thing like a conscience, let alone 
an awakened conscience ; for these things were far be- 
yond his depth, beyond his reach. And then the 
training that he had undergone, under the imperious 
sway of the young nobleman, at college, when and 
where it was considered more than his soul was worth 
to reprove any thfog like sin in his case I We may 
just mention one circumstance, that proved to be the 
turning point, and controlled him in all their after actions 
in their intercourse of college life. It occurred at the 
commencement of their residence there. There had been 
something connected with the conduct of the young 
lord that called forth the sharp reprehension of Wilson ; 
t when this scion of noble birth assumed a very grave 
1 and dignified air, approached him, and said, in a sub- 
dued tone of voice, and with slow and measured terms, 
something like the following : 

“ Now, my sweet and lovely boy, and my very ami- 
able monitor, let us understand each other, and be sure 
that there is no mistake on your part and looking 
very earnestly at him, as though the more completely to 
rivet his attention, he added, “ Do you take in my mean- 
ing, my boy ?” 

Young Wilson, who stood before him, quite thunder- 
S 


26 


LILLIAN; OB, 


struck at bis attitude and manner, and the tone of voice 
in which this was uttered, seemed to assent by a gentle 
inclination of the head. 

“ Well, good, so far,” said his lordship. “ Then it is 
properly understood that this is the last time you will 
attempt to lecture me on my conduct while we are to- 
gether in this college ; and,” he concluded, “ let it be 
further understood that, should you possibly so far for- 
get yourself as to offend again in this particular, then 
and there I will give you such an infernal thrashing as 
your loving and affectionate father never gave his dar- 
ling son.” 

After this these two hopeful young gentlemen parted ; 
the one chuckling over the victory he was certain he 
had gained, and the other in utter consternation. Wil- 
son submitted without question, and the lesson he had 
received completely cowed his spirit for the remainder 
of his life. Subsequently, when thrown into the midst 
of a number of fiery spirits similar to the one which had 
gained such a mastery over him, he appeared to lose 
what little of personal and independent identity re- 
mained. He was reduced to the character of a mere 
machine. His duties were all routine — the same dull 
round each week, the year through. Whether he read 
his one sermon per week, accompanied by the beautiful 
church liturgy, which he was sure to spoil by the “ mouth- 
ing” manner of his reading, or the occasional perform- 
ance of the funeral service over a deceased member of 
the regiment, the whole was done with the most aston- 
ishing listlessness, and delivered in a drawling, monoto- 
nous tone of voice. He was a man of no moral weight 
whatever in the regiment. If he ever had the least idea 


woman’s endurance. 


27 


of reproving sin in any of the officers of the mess-room, 
one glance of his patron was always sure to seal his 
lips, and was sufficient to cause his tongue to cleave to 
the roof of his mouth. But we must say that he always 
submitted with the best possible grace, and even an ap- 
proving smile was never reluctantly given when he 
thought that it was required of him to sanction any 
of the coarse jests of the mess-room. Thus he led a 
kind of smooth and quiet life, as he had no very stern 
or strict moral principles to disturb the equanimity of 
his mind. But when, by any chance, a person gave 
expression, in the most distant way, to any remark that 
was likely to lower the character of th^ Church, his mind 
would at once take the alarm. Under such circum- 
stances his blind zeal knew no bounds ; his language 
would be strong, pointed, and virulent. On such occa- 
sions his disposition would display unmitigated rancor, 
as though he had been nursed on double-distilled acetic 
acid, and his features became wrinkled and puckered up 
into such sharp points and acute angles as to induce 
the impression on the beholder that they would be ad- 
mirably adapted for a nutmeg-grater ; while the thought 
would inevitably suggest itself. Can it be possible that 
this man is a true follower of the meek and gentle 
Saviour, and a teacher of that gospel whose very essence 
is love ? As a general thing, he was one of those soft, 
unmeaning characters who find especial favor with a 
certain class of antiquated maiden ladies ; and in their 
company he spent most of his time. 

At the place we commenced our sketches, and onward, 
thus far, we have taken a kind of general glance at the 
members of the regimental mess-room. And. perhaps 


28 


LILLIAN; OR, 


the reader may have surmised our opinion of their 
morals to be not of the most favorable cast. But we do 
not wish for a moment to be charged with being indis- 
criminating, or harshly censorious. There may, in the 
judgment of many, be offered a very strong plea in pal- 
liation of their manners. We have already stated that 
they had been raised under the strong and controlling 
influences of high family associations — of political, reli- 
gious, and social ties carried down from generation to 
generation ; while the time of which we are now 
writing may perhaps be justly considered as one of the 
most corrupt periods of English history. The king 
fickle-minded and imbecile, the queen shrewd, designing, 
and intriguing — for all that may be truly said of old 
Queen Charlotte — the sons of this royal pair, with only 
one exception, quite naturally stood in the very front 
rank of moral depravity ; and the influence of their ex- 
ample on the morals of the nation was far more disas- 
trous than that of the corrupt court of King Charles. • 

Thus, the youth of the land, being surrounded, and as 
it were tied down by the chains of a strongly controlling ■ 

evil example, riveted fast by their own impulsive nature, ' 

seemed to be almost beyond the reach of a reclaiming ' 

religious influence. But notwithstanding all this, they j 

were, almost to a man, stanch advocates of, and stern * 

sticklers for the Prayer-book and the national Church. ' 

But, instead of this proving any restraint to their 
actions, it appeared to steel their hearts against simple J 
gospel truth ; to build them up in their self-righteous- ! 
ness ; and to close their minds to the approach of aught 
of an evangelical tendency. All their vices were of a ^ 
fashionable grade, and, according to their own code, \ 


woman’s endurance. 


29 


highly meritorious. They would claim it as a kind of 
merit, to be able to drink t)ie greatest number of bot- 
tles of wine. Their amours were an especial theme 
for their boasting ; and every additional female heart 
that any one of them might have been tlie means of 
breaking, was as much a cause for their self-gratulation 
as would be to the callous-hearted Indian a fresh vic- 
tim that might yield another scalp to his already numer- 
ous trophies. 

If thus much might be said of the officers of the regi- 
ment, much more, and perhaps of even a more degrading 
character, may be said of the eight or nine hundred pri- 
vate men of the regiment. This being the case, it may 
be truly said, as a general thing, that the quartering of 
a regiment in any neighborhood is fraught with mischief, 
and might prove one of the most disastrous curses that 
could possibly be inflicted upon it. Lewd women and 
debauchery of every kind follow in its trail, the direful 
influence of which, on the young and middle-aged of the 
locality, it is not possible to measure. Happy, thrice 
happy that time, when nations shall learn war no more, 
and when regiments will be unnecessary for security 
against an external foe, or for the assurance of internal 
peace and prosperity 1 

Now let us enter the regimental mess-room, and take 
our seat, so as to be silent but close observers of all 
that may be said or done. We shall soon perceive that 
we are in the company of highly-educated and polished 
gentlemen, by the free interchange of lofty thought and 
classic sentiment, and that careless abandon that cannot 
by any possibility be assumed by the uninitiated or un- 
lettered. Their correct quotations from ancient and 
3 * 


30 


LILLIAN; OR, 


modern authors ; their familiar discussions of abstruse 
questions of logic ; their extensive reference to incidents 
of history, and the copious flow from their lips of fine 
thought selected from the best popular authors of the 
day ; the keen wit that is, at will, thrown sparkling in 
every direction and in the richest profusion, that gives 
the impression that the source whence it springs is 
actually exhaustless ; the biting, stinging, and barbed 
repartee, that is hurled back as with a giant’s hand ; 
and yet all this with a boisterous merriment and an 
exuberance of good feeling, that plainly tells that the 
fire of high intellect has the power to light up, and to 
warm, but not the capability to burn. In fact, it seems 
the very arena of fun without frivolity ; of frolic with- 
out aimless childishness. And this continues with a 
high, gentlemanly, dignified bearing, until the deep po- 
tations from the bottle circulate far too long, and are 
partaken of too freely. For then a wild and bewildered 
rant spoils the whole scene : the polished gentleman 
merges into the drivelling and jabbering maniac, and the 
ripe scholar is lost in the untutored boor ; and at 
length the whole company “issue forth as sons of 
Belial, fraught with insolence and wine.” 



woman’s endurance. 


31 


CHAPTER III. 

We would now request the reader to accompany us 
to where we shall witness a scene of quite a different 
and opposite character to the one described in the pre- 
ceding chapter. 

It is the Sabbath morning. Entering the gate of the 
barrack-yard, opposite the river St. Lawrence, inclining 
to the left, we proceed in a diagonal course across the 
yard to the angle in that direction. Entering the door- 
way, we ascend the flight of steps, at the top of which 
we find a door right opposite. On entering this room, 
we see a kind of rough desk, made of unpainted boards, 
on which lay a Bible and hymn-book. The entire re- 
maining space of this room is occupied by a number of 
benches or seats, corresponding with the desk ; the 
whole thing appearing as though it had been fitted up 
in a temporary way to accommodate quite a number of 
people. At a little after 10 o’clock, on looking through 
the room-window, we shall see the whole of the regi- 
itient, officers and men, mustering in the barrack-yard 
in response to the call of the drum. The men are with- 
out muskets, and only with their side-arms : they are 
neat, clean, and prim. After going through all the 
necessary preliminaries, they are marched out of the 
yard, led by the regimental band. They are going to 
the English Church in N6tre-Dame street, to listen to a 


32 


LILLIAN; OR, 


sermon delivered by the eloquent Rev. James Wilson, 
M. A., chaplain of the regiment. 

But after the call of the roll, and before the departure 
of the regiment to the English church, we see quite a 
number of men step out of the ranks — full liberty of 
conscience being allowed every man to worship God 
according to the dictates of his own judgment. A num- 
ber of these men make their way to the room already 
described. They come in with a serious, thoughtful 
countenance, and with a marked, steady deportment. 
With becoming reverence they bow the knee, and, with 
covered face, appear to entejf upon the duties of the mo- 
ment with devotional fervor. And not only were there 
the men who left the ranks, but there came in quite a 
large number of women, so that the room was well filled. 
And among the rest, came Captain Walters and Mrs. 
Walters, who, without the least appearance of assump- 
tion on account of their rank, took their seats the same 
as the rest. 

The company were not kept long waiting before a 
sergeant of the regiment made his appearance. He 
walked up with measured step and stately deportment 
to the desk, and after a few moments spent in silent 
communing with, and commending himself and his work 
to God, in a pleasing, mellow, full, though subdued tone 
of voice, gave out one of Charles Wesley’s beautiful and 
spirit-stirring hymns. Then, in a vocal response led 
by the remarkably fine and cultivated voices of Captain 
and Mrs. Walters, the whole audience joined with a 
hearty good-will, — so that, what with the sentiment of the 
hymn, the soul-stirring tune, and the spirit in which it 
was sung, the whole in strict harmony with the highest 


woman’s endubance. 


33 


and purest devotion, it seemed to vie with the choir before 
the throne. This was followed by an extemporaneous 
prayer, of deep, powerful, searching confession, suppli- 
cation, praise, and adoration ; after which another hymn 
was sung, and then the text was enunciated. 

Sergeant Johnson was evidently a man mighty in 
word ; and the very intimate acquaintance he appeared 
to have with the scriptures of truth, exhibited to his 
hearers that he was a workman who needed not to be 
ashamed, — rightly dividing the word of truth, and afford- 
ing to each a portion of meat in due season. At the 
conclusion of these services, Mr. Johnson announced 
that brother Captain Walters would address them on 
the following Sabbath morning. 

It may be remarked, that, at the time of which we 
are now writing, which was in the latter part of the 
year ^83 of ‘the last century, there were but very few 
people who spoke the English language in Montreal 
except those belonging to the British army, and in the 
government offices ; and scarcely an individual who 
made a public profession of attachment to the cause of 
God — that is, who enjoyed personal religion. Conse- 
quently, there was no regular and stated evangel- 
ical ministry, in accordance with the revival movements 
that were witnessed in England. So that it may be 
supposed that the few persons who had attended the 
heart-searching ministry of Whitfield and the Wesleys, 
in England, would feel the want of social, spiritual inter- 
course, when they were in a foreign land. And such 
Montreal must have been considered at that early date : 
although it was then, and indeed had been for some 
time, under the British rule, its people were foreign in 


34 


LILLIAN; O R, 


their habits, their feelings, and in their most cherished 
opinions. This being the case, what so natural as that 
the truly enlightened and spiritually-minded should seek 
each other out, and so make arrangements whereby they 
might be mutually edified, and, in fact, maintain a firm 
standing in their Christian character and experience ? 

We have just been made acquainted with the manner 
and spirit in which this association was formed and 
their meetings carried on ; and it must have been per- 
ceived that a more than ordinary degree of fraternal 
good-feeling subsisted among them. It was an under- 
standing among them, that while they were in their 
social capacity together, as worshippers of their one 
God and common Father, all distinctions of office and 
rank should merge in that of brother and sister in the 
Lord. Hence it was usual, in their social gatherings, to 
greet each other as Brother Walters, Brother Johnson, 
Sister Walters, Sister Johnson ; and so of all the rest, 
to the lowest brother or sister who was an acknowledged 
member of their little band. And every fresh or new 
disciple would be greeted with a right hearty good-will, 
if they gave clear and decided evidence of their Chris- 
tian sincerity. But when once outside of their humble 
but highly cherished and consecrated spot, where they 
held sweet counsel, it was properly understood that all 
the general routine of regimental salutes should be 
scrupulously observed. 

But then it must not be thought that Captain Wal- 
ters, or his very kind-hearted lady, assumed any thing 
like a cold, stiff sanctimoniousness, or frigid formality ; 
no, their manners and address were free, open, easy 
and affable to all, yet tempered by a dignified de- 


woman’s endurance. 


35 


meanor which won the praise and the blessing of the 
roughest and the most rugged warrior in the ranks. 
There was not a female connected with the regiment, 
whatever might be her need, from sickness or otherwise, 
but was sure to find Mrs. Walters in the right place at 
the right time. Her purse, her larder, her conserves or 
preserves, yielded up their contributions in no scanty 
measure : in fact, like her Divine Master whom she 
served, she went about doing good. 

Mrs. Walters had been one day out making purchases 
at one of the drygoods stores in St. Paul street, for the 
supply of clothing that was needed by a female, wife of 
one of the men in the regiment, who had just brought 
into the world a bouncing boy. As she was walking 
along the street at a rapid pace, with the bundle of 
flannel and other small articles under her arm — for she 
was not ashamed to carry a bundle along the street, and 
especially when it was for a charitable purpose — it being 
just when the dusk of evening was drawing its sable 
mantle over the heavens, she was accosted, close by the 
corner of one of those dark, narrow streets, that lead 
down to the river from St. Paul street, by an old woman, 
who was closely muffled up in a dark-colored cloak, and 
who handed her a small package. It might have been 
seen in a moment that a more than ordinary degree of 
emotion agitated her whole frame ; and on receiving 
the package from the old woman, she at the same time 
made a most desperate efibrt to seize the hand that 
gave it to her. But just at that instant, a roughly 
dressed man was passing, who, trying to push past the 
two, from some cause fell down, and in his fall was 
nearly the cause of Mrs. Walters meeting with the same 


36 


ULLIA]^; OR, 


misfortune. ‘ The man, in the bewilderment of the mo- 
ment, seemed to be as much confused as was Mrs. Wal- 
ters : quickly gathering himself up, he looked around, 
and seeing the bundle and small package on the path- 
way, picked them up and clumsily handing them to her, 
said : “ Pm mighty sorry, ma’am, but hope you isn’t ’urt ; 
may be them’s yours.” 

She appeared not at all to notice him or his speech, 
though holding out the articles in his hand towards her ; 
but soon recovering herself a little, said : “ Oh, did you 
see the way that person went ?” 

He, with a kind of vacant look, and in an uncouth 
manner, said : “ Oh, you’s frightened, ma’am ; maybe 
you’ll soon cum to and so saying, went hastily on his 
way. 

With agitated manner and unsteady step Mrs. Wai- 
ters went her way, and arrived at her home in no very 
calm state of mind. She found Captain Walters waiting 
for her, to whom she related all the circumstances of 
the case just as they occurred. After she had completed 
her narration, she exclaimed— 

“ Oh, my dear Robert, what can all this mean ? This 
is the fourth time that I have met this same person un- 
der similar attendant circumstances, but at far distant 
times and at far distant places. The first time that I 
saw her was in the north of England, when about to 
leave school, where I had been from childhood — in fact, 
from a time earlier than my recollection extends. The 
next time, as you may recollect, was when we were at the 
watering-place in Leamington, soon after our marriage ; 
and the third time was just after the death of our two 
dear children, and you were away from me and lay sick 


woman’s endurance. 


37 


and wounded among strangers in a strange land. My 
dear Kobert, there has always appeared to me to be a 
deep mystery hanging over my birth, my parentage, 
and, in fact, all my history, that I have in vain attempted 
to unravel. Oh, my dear, what shall I do ? This is too 
much for me — it is more than I can bear I’^ And after 
this a violent paroxysm of grief shook her whole frame. 

That woman, generally so calm, so self-possessed, so 
resolute, appeared to shake and quiver like a leaf in 
the wind, or like the pliant willow bending before the 
passing storm. All the efforts of her husband appeared 
to be lost while endeavoring to calm down her agitated 
spirit, and the wonted soothing influence of his voice 
had ceased to charm. So he concluded that it would be 
the best to allow her inward sorrow to spend its own 
force, and which was, in a little while, greatly relieved 
by a copious flow of tears. Then, after sitting in silence 
for some time, he gently approached her, and, drawing 
her to his bosom, softly whispered in her ear — 

“ My own Eliza, your husband is by your side ; is not 
he more than all the world to you 

These expressions, like a talisman, touched the secret 
springs of her womaffs heart, and, with a vehemence 
prompted by a pure and ardent affection, she threw her 
arms around his neck, and, smiling through her tears, 
said — 

“ My dear Robert, am not I a foolish being ? I have 
been prying after a secret that might perhaps bring sor- 
row instead of affording joy, while I have been lightly 
esteeming those richer blessings that have been so abun- 
dantly clustering around my path all through life, and 
never more so than at this moment.” On the utterance 
4 


38 


LILLIAN; OR, 


of which, with a food embrace, a lovely and loving 
smile, and a profusion of kisses, she seemed to be her- 
self again. 

After sitting for some time in silence, her husband 
inquired — 

“ But, my own Eliza, what about the small package 
that you say this mysterious being handed to you 

“ Oh, yes,” she said ; “ the thought of that had gone 
from my mind,” and, on taking the package from her 
pocket, she exclaimed — “ See, here it is.” 

Captain Walters took it from her, and began to open 
it ; but he had to remove wrapper after wrapper, string 
after string, before the contents were disclosed. At 
length he found a slip of paper upon which was written 
the following words, in a remarkably handsome female 
hand : “ Jehovah reigneth ; let the earth rejoice I” and, 
“ What thou knowest not now, thou shalt know here- 
after.” After unfolding several more wrappers, he found 
a nearly new Bank of England note, of the value of five 
hundred pounds sterling. As soon as Mrs. Walters 
saw the writing and the sterling bank-note, in a kind 
of wild frenzy she exclaimed — 

“ My dear Robert, what shall I do ? They are the 
exact resemblance of the other three. My dear Robert, 
what can all this mean ?” 

In the early history of Montreal, and especially of 
that period to which this part of our narrative refers, 
the inhabitants were few in number ; consequently very 
extensive accommodations were not required for the 
parties who then came to town to supply the people with 
farm and garden produce. It was not required then 
to have such large and elegant stone edifices as the 


woman’s endurance. 


39 


city can now boast of as their market-places. It may 
be in the memory of many now living in the city of Mon- 
treal — not to mention that ubiquitous personage, the 
oldest inhabitant — that there was a building of not very 
pretentious appearance standing on the same, or nearly 
on the same site whereon the Montreal custom-house 
now stands. It was the old market : though it had 
been new sometime, it must have been a long while 
ago. At the time to which we have reference it was in 
full operation, as it was the chief if not the only place 
of resort for the town and country people, as of all par- 
ties in any way connected with the garrison, and where 
all the delicacies of the season were sure to be found. 
But it is not the old market with which we have now 
specially to do, any further than to place the reader’s at- 
tention on the locality. 

It may be remembered that there was a row of old- 
fashioned, dark-looking houses, built in the old French 
style, standing between the old market-place and the 
river-front, with entrances from the river-side as well 
as from the market side. One of these old buildings 
was at that time a tavern. 

Into one of the rooms of the centre house of the row 
already alluded to, and on the' same night on which oc- 
curred the encounter of Mrs. Walters with the person in 
St. Paul street, there has just entered an apparently 
old woman, mujffled up in a large dark cloak, but alert 
in her movements and light of stop. 

On taking a look into that room, we discover, instead 
of the old woman just observed to enter it, a lady in the 
prime of life, arrayed in the richest attire and in the 
very height of fashion ; and what appears to be a black 


40 


LILLIAN; OR, 


cloak, is lying on the table. Taking her seat in the large, 
old-fashioned armchair, she anxiously looks towards the 
door, seemingly expecting some one. Soon there is heard 
a gentle rap at the door : the lady answered the call, and 
requested the visitor to enter. The door opened, and 
a man made his appearance, dressed as a livery servant, 
holding over his left arm what appeared to be an old, 
soiled, and ragged coat, and a pair of pantaloons of the 
same character ; and he held an old misshapen hat in 
his right hand. On his entrance into the room he stood 
at a respectful distance from the lady, who soon opened 
the conversation by saying — 

“ Well, Thomas, how do you consider the thing was 
carried out ? I hope you acted all through according 
to my instructions.” 

“ Yes, my lady, in every particular,” was the answer 
the man made. 

“ Are you sure that she got the small package safe ?” 

“Yes ; in the hurry and confusion of the moment she 
let the package fall to the ground, with something else 
that she had in her hand, a small bundle, both of which 
I picked up and handed to her, for she seemed scarcely 
to know what she was doing ; but I kept my eye on 
the package, and saw her put it in her pocket. In a 
rambling way she asked me who that person was, and 
where she was gone ; but I said just what you told me 
to say, and then left her. That is all that I know or saw 
of her.” 

“ Well done, Thomas I” said the lady. “ That was 
all right. I must give you a little praise for your 
adroitness. I suppose, Thomas,” said the lady, “ that 
you sometimes consider my conduct and proceedings a 


woman’s endurance. 


41 


little erratic, goverued by vagary or whim, oi prompted 
by woman’s waywardness, and for which you think there 
is neither rhyme nor reason ?” 

“ Well, my lady,” said the man, “I must say that I 
have often thought your conduct a little strange in some 
things ; but knowing, as I do, your shrewdness and 
penetration, and your firm reliance on a superintending 
Providence, I cannot but suppose that you have some 
far-off object in view. With this conviction on my mind, 

I have no wish or inclination to pry into your secrets, 
but to assist you in the accomplishment of your purpose, 
whatever that may be ; and I am pleased to find that 
my present conduct meets with your approval.” 

“ That is all right, Thomas, and this is as I have al- 
ways found you ; and I trust that my past injunctions 
will at all times be strictly observed by you — that is, 
that all these things shall be kept profoundly secret 
between us. And as you place such confidence in me 
and my judgment, you are perfectly right in saying that 
I have a firm reliance and implicit confidence in a su- 
perintending Providence. I feel something like the an- 
cient Israel of God, when they were requested to stand 
still that they might see His salvation, and anon the 
enemies of God and His chosen people wore over- 
whelmed, while they themselves were placed safe be- 
yond the reach of their crafty and vengeful foes. It 
sometimes takes long, as men call long, for Jehovah to 
work out his purposes : but be assured that He sees the 
end from the beginning ; and as the immutable princi- 
ples of justice and truth cannot be finally subverted, 
the wicked shall eventually be taken in their own craft- 
iness. The wisdom, the love, as well as the justice . 

4 * 


42 


LILLIAN": OR, 


of God, must triumph, and all men shall either adore 
Him in their deliverance, or fall beneath the crushing 
vengeance of His judgments. As the ancient heathen 
said, ‘ The mills of the gods grind slow, but they grind 
exceedingly small.”^ 



woman’s endurance. 


43 


CHAPTER IV. 

In order that the reader may be better acquainted 
with a very important portion of the life of Captain 
Walters, and also tliat of his very estimable wife, as 
well as to open up a fair view of very peculiar traits of 
character which were called into exercise by their posi- 
tion and the circumstances through which they passed, 
it will be necessary for us to refer back for a period 
of about three years, as they cover a very stirring and 
important chapter in the history of the North American 
continent. It is not our intention to give any more of 
this than is essentially necessary to the development of 
the personal history and moral character of the principal 
parties in our narrative. 

Suffice it to say, that, at the latter part of the year 
1719 and the beginning of the year 1780, all parties 
were busily employed, in the city of Montreal, in pre- 
paring for a grand and (as some of the leading men de- 
clared and fully intended that it should be) a final 
termination of the struggle then going on between 
British rule, on the one side, and a determined and 
indomitable spirit of freedom on the other. 

An imposing force was collected, and all the plans of 
the campaign were duly considered ; for the wise heads 
who had then the full direction of affairs concluded that 
the rebellion, as they termed it, must and should be 


4 : 4 : 


LILLIAN; OR, 


crushed. On the completion of these plans, the cohorts 
were led forth in all the pomp and circumstance of 
glorious war, the brains of the commander busy wdth all 
the modes and manoeuvres of field tactics, as they were 
then practised between the contending armies of Europe, 
where the generals had large masses of troops under 
their control, and extensive and open plains over which 
to move them ; where the skilful commander could cope 
with a wary and wily foe on something like equal 
terms ; and where, if any original movement should be 
made that was not included in the general code of mil- 
itary warfare, it would be sure to be criticized, and 
praised or blamed, according to its success or failure. 
Hence, as a general thing, the commanders were very 
careful not to step out of the acknowledged routine of 
the school in which they had received their instructions. 
But, on the occasion now before us, all the old routines 
were completely at fault ; for, instead of wide and ex- 
tensive plains, they found dark, silent, and vast forests, 
where there was no room to move or to form their well 
and systematically drilled forces. To think of moving 
in mass or solid squares would be madness, let alone 
their deploying to form an extensive line, or, if in line, 
to change their front either to the right or left. They 
had to march through narrow defiles, or through pas- 
sages that had been cut through the dense forests by 
the axe, to open up a pathway to connect distant local- 
ities. 

Vast preparations had been made for their reception 
by throwing every impediment in their way, such as 
destroying what temporary bridges there were, sinking 
deep trenches across their path, and felling the huge 


woman’s endurance. 


45 


trees to impede the progress of man and horse, and 
especially to entangle the artillery. In fact, every ob- 
stacle that skill and ingenuity could invent or suggest 
was thrown in the way of the advance of the British 
army. 

No foe appeared in large masses to contend with the 
British, unless quite sure that they had them inextri- 
cably fixed in some well-laid snare, when a continual 
fusilade was kept up from unseen parties, from every 
quarter, — from the right, the left, the front, the rear ; 
and night or day was all the same to them. 

One universal spirit appeared to inspire the breasts 
of the sons of freedom and to nerve their arms, for, at 
every discharge of their trusty rifles, one less remained 
of those they considered the instruments of their op- 
pressors. Hence the British soldiers were perpetually 
harassed and distressed, their oflScers perplexed, and 
their commander completely bewildered. Every tree 
proved to be a covert for a foe, and from behind every 
large stone or projecting rock the unerring marksman 
sent a special leaden messenger, with a full and free 
discharge from the British service of some officer or 
private. 

Engaged in this contest was the regiment to which 
Captain Walters belonged ; and we may believe that, as 
a general thing, it would act with as much heroism, and 
suffer with as much fortitude, as any other regiment of 
the line. There is, however, one incident of special hero- 
ism to which we must necessarily refer, as it is connected 
with the main features of our narrative ; and we will en- 
deavor to be faithful in its recital. 

Several desperate attacks had been made on the 


46 


LILLIAN; OR, 


camp. It was noticed that the parties who made these 
fierce onslaughts generally came from one direction, 
and it was concluded to send a detachment to oppose 
the next approach of the foe that might be made, and, 
if the resistance should prove successful, then to follow 
up the party, and, if possible, break up their rendez- 
vous. It so happened that Captain Walters was the 
ofiScer who was selected for this hazardous and impor- 
tant enterprise, with permission to make his own selec- 
tion of such men from the whole regiment as, in his 
judgment, were the best fitted for the object. Captain 
Walters felt the full weight of responsibility of the 
commission, and well knew how deeply his standing and 
reputation were involved, as well as that of the regi- 
ment and the army at large, and, therefore, in selecting 
his men and making preparations to resist the attack, 
he exercised all the care and skill that human prudence 
could suggest. 

When all was ready, taking advantage of the dark- 
ness of night, they sallied forth from the camp. Wa- 
rily, and with cautious and stealthy step, they threaded 
their devious way through the tangled brushwood of 
the forest, with a skilful pilot or scout a little way in 
advance of the main body, ever ready to give warning 
of the least intimation of an approaching foe. They 
had advanced some distance when the scout discerned 
an object advancing with the same stealthy caution that 
he himself observed. But he, believing himself as yet 
unseen, which proved true, lay down, so as to allow the 
one approaching to pass him a little to the left ; then, as 
he lay, quickly taking aim, sent an arrow through the 
body of his victim, penetrating his heart — causing him 


Woman’s endurance. 


47 


to spring upward and then fall heavily on his face, dead. 
This action of the scout proved to his party a sufiScient 
signal of the approach of danger, and they at once 
made preparation for an onslaught. But other eyes as 
wakeful as their own had witnessed the deed, for the 
American party had taken the precaution to double their 
scouts, — one on the trail of him who was shot, who as 
quickly gave his own party notice that foes were near 
at hand. 

Here, then, these prowling parties, each sternly bent 
on slaughter, just as the gray dawn began to tinge the 
eastern horizon, met face to face, so far as that could 
be in this dense forest. But the opposing party, seeing 
the compact array in which Captain Walters had formed 
his men, who, with fixed bayonets, awaited only the 
word of command to charge them, made a hasty retreat 
after pouring in a deadly volley from their rifles. Cap- 
tain Walters then ordered the volley to be returned, 
which had as fatal an effect on the retreating party. 
Immediately ordering a rapid advance in pursuit, he soon 
came up with the enemy in an open space, or large clear- 
ing in the woods, in which was a large frame-building 
that appeared to be the rendezvous of which they were 
in search. With perfect coolness and consummate skill 
he made his dispositions, and his company, both men 
and officers, seemed inspired with the same cool ardor 
as himself. But there now opened up before them a 
sight that might well shake the courage of these heroic 
men. A compan}^ of the enemy, surpassing them- 
selves in number, armed to the very teeth, and under 
the command of an able mind, drew up before them. It 
might be seen, by the fixedness of every muscle in each 


48 


LILLIAN; OR, 


countenance, that they possessed the spirit both to 
dare and to do : every musket was grasped with a rigid 
firmness, every foot seemed locked to the ground. Had 
they been so many marble statues they could not have 
appeared more stern and invulnerable. Every man fixed 
his eye with steady look on his commander, and their 
every movement seemed under the control of his stern 
will. There might be seen, also, that mutual confidence, 
the leader in the man and the man in the leader, that 
goes far to secure the success of an enterprise. 

Now, when troops such as these are placed in hostile 
position, awaiting the word of command to attack, sus- 
pense is associated with something akin to awe ; and 
at length, when the charge is sounded, quick as the 
flash of lightning the shock and tumult of battle begin. 
The clash and clangor of steel, the shout, fury, and con- 
fusion of the combatants make the woods ring again. 
As the cries of the combatants rang out in the death- 
struggle, it was as if the infernal host had escaped 
from the lower regions, and were then and there holding 
high carnival. It seemed, indeed, as though the future 
well-being, if not the very existence of their respective 
nations, might have depended on their endurance, their 
firm nerve, and their strong will, so determined and 
vengeful was the strife. 

In the general mHee, Captain Walters had been very 
severely wounded in the left shoulder and the left thigh ; 
but still, with praiseworthy coolness and self-devotion, 
he was always to be found wherever duty called him, or 
danger seemed most imminent ; and thus it happened 
he came in contact with the commanding officer of the 
opposing force, and each, with drawn sword in hand 


woman’s endurance. 49 

(both as true as the steel they bore), demanded of the 
other to surrender. Neither seemed willing to comply, 
and both assumed a posture of defence. It was soon 
discernible that neither of them would prove a novice 
in the art of self-defence. Their swords were soon 
crossed, and with celerity and consummate tact every 
thrust was parried, every cut dexterously guarded, and 
every lunge adroitly thrown aside. And such was the 
eifect of this cool, masterly exhibition of science, that 
the attention of the other combatants was irresistibly 
drawn to them, they actually forgetting for the moment 
that they themselves had been in deadly conflict. All 
this time the wounds of Captain Walters were bleeding 
profusely, and he began to feel their ill effects upon his 
whole system. From the loss of blood, his movements 
were growing unsteady ; his countenance became pale 
and livid, and ^ave indication of exhaustion. The keen 
eye of his opponent saw all this, and soon discovered 
that he had the advantage, and that he might have dis- 
patched Walters with comparative ease. But, lowering 
his sword in token of his purpose, he placed it in his 
left hand, and, at the same time stepping forward with 
his right hand extended, said — 

“ Sir, I am not a dastard, thus to take advantage of 
a brave man. You and your companions in arms have 
fought nobly, and won undying laurels.” 

But before he had finished speaking, the excitement 
ceasing, from loss of blood Captain Walters swooned 
away. The generous action of the American captain 
had its effect on his followers, and soon melted all those 
stern warrior-hearts, causing them to vie with each 
other in acts of kindness, -and especially in their atten- 
8 


50 


LILLIAN; OR, 


tions to the wounded and the dying. The large building 
already alluded to was soon put in requisition, and those 
who had so lately levelled the musket and wielded the 
sword were now found to be the kindest and tenderest 
of nurses. They had met at the first with the dark side 
of humanity towards each other ; but now a brighter 
side was seen, thus forming a beautiful contrast. Oh, 
that kings would know that they are men, and men that 
they are brethren I" But Captain Walters received the 
special care and most marked attention from the Amer- 
ican captain, whose name was Baldwin. 

It so happened that the residence of Captain Baldwin 
was but a few miles distant, and there he at once de- 
cided to have Captain Walters conveyed, where he would 
be surrounded with home comforts, be attended with 
greater care, and have the benefit of his own family 
physician. This arrangement was speedily carried into 
effect, and Captain Walters was received and attended 
to with as much kindness, and even affection, as he could 
desire. His wounds proved of a far more serious nature 
than was at first supposed. On examination it was dis- 
covered that he had been wounded by a musket or pistol 
shot in both the thigh and shoulder. The balls still re- 
mained, and that there would be much difSculty in ex- 
tracting them, giving excessive pain to the patient, 
seemed evident from their being firmly imbedded among 
the muscles. 

Although Captain Walters was so highly favored, 
considering the circumstances that had brought him 
there, — appearing in the first instance as an enemy, now 
treated as a friend, and cared for in every possible way, 
—•still there was one absent for whom his soul yearned, 


woman’s endurance. 


51 


and he was heard to softly mention her name and to ex- 
press a wish that his wife might be informed of his 
present condition. The desire was no sooner uttered 
than it was caught at by Captain Baldwin, with the 
full and hearty assurance that his wish should be 
promptly complied with, at all hazards. 

It was now more than four months since Captain 
Walters had left his family at Montreal — that family 
that was more than all the world to him, every member 
of which was closely entwined around his heart by the 
tenderest of all earthly ties. But now he was far away 
from them, severely wounded, confined to his bed, and 
among strangers, if he might not justly say in an en- 
emy’s country ; and although thus cared for, and at- 
tended to with sympathy and kindness, and every wish 
or desire anticipated, still he was often heard uttering, 
in an almost inaudible voice, “Eliza, my own Eliza 1 and 
my own dear little pets I” 

But his Eliza, though not wounded in body or laid 
on a bed of sickness, was still more deeply wounded in 
her heart, and grieving under torn and lacerated affec- 
I tions. She had mourned her absent lord with a true 

I womanly affection ; her prayers had daily ascended in 

his behalf ; his very image had attended her in her 
sleeping as well as her waking hours. In that absence 
she had been buoyed up by the encouraging hope that 
he would return to bless her with his presence, to soothe 
her with his words, and to cheer her by his wonted 
smile ; but she was now mourning for the absence of 
those who were lost to her, without the palliating 
thought that they would ever return to her fond mater- 
nal embrace. 


52 


LILLIAN; OR, 


Captain and Mrs. Walters had been blessed with the 
birth of two beautiful, lovely, and loving children, a 
boy and a girl, who had been the means of cementing 
their hearts, if that could have been at all possible, still 
more closely, and more completely moulding their souls 
into unison. At the time that Captain Walters had 
started with the military expedition from Montreal, they 
were at the respective ages of four and three. The 
eldest was a little girl, Elizabeth, generally called the 
“ black-ej^ed beauty.” She appeared like an angel 
enshrined in clay, her form was so sylph-like and 
agile, and so graceful was she in all her movements. 
With her merry laugh, which was peculiarly her own, 
she was the very life and centre of joy to the whole 
household, indeed to the entire neighborhood. The boy, 
Robert, was more thoughtful and taciturn. Young as 
he was (three years old) he would astonish by his re- 
marks, and very often puzzle by his questions. To say 
that these children were charming, the loveliest of the 
lovely, would be only a reiteration of the universal senti- 
ment expressed by all who saw them. Early trained to 
the culture of refinement by their excellent mother, to- 
gether with their own sweet dispositions and aptitude to 
learn, they were at once objects of admiration as well as 
of love ; and it was a pleasure of no ordinary character 
to listen to them as they joined in their evening hymn 
of praise, led by the mother’s sweet, full, and mellow 
voice, and accompanied by her on the piano. 

Was it any wonder, then, that these two lovely young 
cherubs should be esteemed as their mother’s pride and 
their father’s pets ? It would, indeed, rather have been 
a wonder if it had been otherwise. But, in about a 


woman’s endurance. 


53 


month after their father left them, then blooming in 
health, the little boy sickened with the smallpox, which 
soon appeared to be of a most virulent type. Every 
remedy was promptly administered that the physician^s 
skill or a mother’s affection could suggest, but all to no 
purpose. On the advice of the physician, the little girl, 
Elizabeth, was removed from the infected house, and 
sent to reside with a family in the neighborhood, to 
prevent, if possible, this very contagious disease being 
communicated to her. But this very prudent precaution 
proved to be of no avail whatever ; for she, in a very 
short time, sickened with the same dire complaint, and 
was brought home to the sorrowing and heart- stricken 
mother. It would be in vain for us to attempt to de- 
scribe the unremitting labor of that mother, whose pure 
affection supported her in her toils and watchings, both 
day and night, during those sad weeks, amidst Jhese her 
accumulated and keen sorrows. But all her labor, her 
affection, and her unwearied attention were of no avail. 
The demand had been made upon her household, and 
the contribution, however painful, had to be submitted 
to ; she had to render her quota to help fill up the shin- 
ing ranks before the throne of God. The precious de- 
posit that had been placed under her charge had, most 
certainly, been watched over with a care and assiduity 
befitting their priceless value and their high destiny. 
She had, at the first, received them, as comparative 
blanks that had to be filled up — as rough blocks from 
the quarry of nature j but she had filled them up, had 
polished and beautified them, and had delivered them 
back to their Owner as gems of the first water Though 
thus stricken down with deep sorrow, she at length 


54 


LILLIAN; OR, 


submitted with true Christian fortitude ; consequently, 
there was none of that loud, boisterous, raving, outside 
grief, that rather shows its shallowness than its depth 
and power — more like the noisy ripple of the tiny rivu- 
let, than the broad, deep, and even flow of the noble 
river. It is true that, when they were carried forth and 
deposited in the grave, — or, as it may be termed, the 
Christian’s night-room, where the body, the outward 
dress of the spirit, is laid by until it will be required 
again at the morning of the first resurrection, — she did 
feel the loneliness of her situation in all its blank, dark 
dreariness : but she well knew that there was One 
whose eye was ever over her for good, and whose ear 
was open to her every plaint : and persuaded that she 
had now close relationships above — that up there were 
safely housed her darling little ones, that they were now 
safe in the bosom of her heavenly Father — she had ever 
a celestial halo around her sorrow. 

But there was one thing that was calculated to give 
point to all her other sorrows, and that was, that her 
husband had not faithfully carried out his promise that 
he would write, at the very furthest, once a week. To 
all the letters that she had written to him, she had not 
as yet received one in return, and she could not unravel 
the deep and afflictive mystery. She knew that his love 
was true, and that his affection was firm and pure. She 
herself had been breathing out her very soul upon paper ; 
her full breast had found relief in narrating her sorrows 
with her pen ; and she often asked herself, why was 
there no response ? She hoped, she feared, and at times 
she was led to dread that there might be something 
wrong ; some fatal mishap might have befallen the ob- 


65 


woman’s endurance. 

ject of her solicitude. And this state of suspense, in 
her case, was hard to bear ; for she was of a highly 
sensitive nature, and, keenly alive to both joys and 
sorrows, could fully appreciate the one, but at all times 
suffered most keenly under the other. 

But, if it will not be anticipating a part of our narra- 
tive, we will just mention here, to avoid any unpleasant 
misgivings in the mind of the reader, that Captain Wal- 
ters had most scrupulously, in every sense of the word, 
been faithful to his promise, and had perhaps written 
as many, if not more letters than his wife ; but none 
had ever reached their destination, so that there was 
mutual disappointment. This was owing to the letters 
being intercepted by parties who had completely cut 
off communications with the headquarters of the British 
army and the city of Montreal. 




56 


LILLIAJr; OR 


CHAPTER V. 

On the promise of Captain Baldwin to Captain Wal- 
ters, that he would promptly make arrangements to con- 
vey information to Mrs. Walters, he at once sent Lieu- 
tenant Wyndham, the officer next in command under 
Captain Walters, — he having given his parole of honor, 
with a polite note to the commander of the British 
forc’hs, stating his wish, and the ardent desire of Captain 
Walters to see his wife. And, as there were at that 
time no regular post-roads, or any stages to convey 
parties from place to place. Captain Baldwin generously 
placed at the service of the lieutenant his own carriage 
and span of horses, with the understanding that if it were 
the desire of Mrs. Walters to return with him, she was 
at perfect liberty to do so. 

So far so good. But it was essentially necessary that 
a pass, or permit, should be procured from both the 
American and British authorities, to allow this arrange- 
ment to be consummated. Such was the high estimation 
in which both Captain Baldwin and Captain Walters 
were held by every individual in their respective armies, 
that a statement of the case was no sooner made than 
the pass was granted. 

Thus fully prepared to* cS,rry out the wishes of all 
parties interested. Lieutenant Wyndham at once started 
on his mission of love. But between three and four hun- 
dred miles to travel was not so pleasant and easy a 


woman’s endueance. 


67 


task at that time as at this day of railroad and steam- 
boat communication through the same district of coun- 
try. Suffice it, however, to say, that after a wearisome 
and toilsome travel of nearly two weeks, he arrived at 
his destination in Montreal, and, as gently and kindly 
as his own rough nature would allow, broke by degrees 
the whole state of things to Mrs. W alters, who received 
the news with something like a calm resignation, that 
was quite unexpected on the part of the lieutenant, and 
even perplexing. This might partly be accounted for 
from the fact that this information in some measure 
quieted the worse fears that had of late been agitating 
her mind, for she now learned that her husband was 
alive ; and then, of late her mind had been schooled to 
sorrow, and therefore not so liable to be urged into a 
sudden gust of grief as it otherwise might have been. 

But there was communicated to the lieutenant news 
that for the moment completely unmanned him. He ap- 
peared to be in a state of consternation on being told 
of the death of his little favorite, Elizabeth, and of his 
romping pet, Kobert ; and, greatly moved at the start- 
ling announcement, exclaimed — 

“ Alas ! what will Captain Walters say and do when 
he hears all this 

Ah I this touched a tender chord in the heart of Mrs. 
Walters. “Yes,” she said, “what will Walters say 
and do, indeed ?” at the same time seeming in a musing 
I mood, and with a look on vacancy. But she was soon 
I brought back to her self-possession, and in a calm nian- 
I ner and subdued tone of voice said — 

“ I wish I could go to him and be with him in his 
sickness.” 


3 * 


68 


LILLIAN; OR, 


The lieutenant then expressed to her that that was 
the' one object of his mission, and that he only waited 
her commands, and her desires should be implicitly com- 
plied with. 

She was told that Captain Walters had given utter- 
ance to the ardent wish to have her with him ; and in 
obedience to that desire he had come to inform her. On 
learning this she could not hesitate for a moment, but ' 
commenced preparations for her departure, which were ' 
soon completed. And as she had not any tender charge 
to detain her at home, or even to divert her thoughts, 
there was only one grand absorbing thought that swayed ] 
her mind and her woman’s heart, and that was her hus- 
band. Now that she had placed her mind on him so ■ 
intensely, time and distance seemed to lengthen indefi- 
nitely, as the one passed, or as the fleet horses short- , 
ened the other. Her impatience was on several occa- 
sions almost on the point of leading her to the use of 
indiscreet expressions, by complaining of the sleepy 
driver and the lazy horses. But at the same time 
there was enough to try the skill and patience of the 
driver, and to test to the utmost the strength of the 
horses, by the almost insurmountable difficulties of the 
road. 

At length, however, her ardent desires were realized, 
and she was once more beside her husband. But that • , 
first meeting tongue or pen would utterly fail to por- 
tray : it was the looks of love ; it was passion without 
words ; it was the soft but silent embrace of pure affeo ^ j 
tion. But, oh what a change a few months had wrought 
in those so lately blooming forms I Pain and sorrow of , 
heart — yes, deeply wounded affections — had changed • 


woman’s endurance. 


59 


the one ; and severe wounds and bodily pain had sorel}’ 
reduced the other. 

Almost the first question that was asked by the hus- 
band and* father, when the ebullition of affection had a 
little subsided, was : “ But how are my darling little 
pets, Eliza 

She, with an averted eye and an assumed calmness 
of manner, replied; “They are well, and perfectly 
happy.” 

But he, in the excitement of the moment, kept plying 
her with all kinds of questions ; and in fact every con- 
ceivable shade of a reason was urged by him for her to 
inform him all about his children. But evading all his 
questions with shrewd womanly tact, she urged him to 
keep quiet, as his extreme weakness unfitted him to 
converse long ; that she had told him they were well 
and happy, and when he was more able to talk, she 
would then answer all his questions : now that she was 
with him, he had nothing to do but to get well ; which 
she trusted a few days or weeks at furthest would fully 
accomplish. 

There was one subject that required an explanation 
between Captain Walters and his wife, and that was, 
why no letters had passed between them. This was 
explained according to the statement already made, that 
although the letters had been written and sent, accord- 
ing to the word mutually pledged, yet by some mys- 
terious cause they had failed in being delivered. 

We would here state, that after Captain Walters had 
been placed uhder the care of Captain Baldwin’s family 
physician, the latter had used his utmost skill in his treat- 
ment j but notwithstanding all his attention, there was 


60 


LILLIAN; OR, 


excessive suffering on the part of the patient. The ball 
had imbedded itself so firmly among the muscles of the 
left shoulder, that it proved a most difficult procedure to 
extract it ; and it required no less dexterity to treat 
that in the left thigh. The result proved most satis- 
factorily that Dr. Smith was fully equal to the task he 
had undertaken ; but notwithstanding all this skill and 
tenderness, he could not prevent nature from pursuing 
her own course. Serious inflammation ensued, and a i 
general prostration of his whole system, followed by 
fever of a most malignant type ; so that for some time 
his life appeared to be trembling in the balance : and his j 
noble mind, too, so -suffered from the shock as to drift ! 
from its moorings. -f 

It was well for Mrs. Walters that all this had been • 
gone through before her arrival ; but still he was suffer- i 
ing from the effects of illness, and it required all her 1 
skill to insure his recovery. But we must say that J 
no one could, from all appearances, be better qualified J 
than she was for this purpose — quick in all her per- 1 
ceptions, ready in her movements, tender in her appli- j 
ances, yet firm in her command over her own suscepti- j 
bilities. There was nothing morbid or mawkish in her ^ 
mind or manner ; every thing was quite natural, easy, | 
and graceful, — so much so that the physician compli- j 
mented her by saying that it was really a great privi- 
lege to be sick, where the patient could be blessed with 
the attendance of such a nurse. 

At length, every thing seemed to be progressing, as 
regarded the health and strength of Captain Walters, 
as favorably as could be reasonably expected. 

But still there was often a great restlessness about t 


woman’s endukance. 


61 


him. He would frequently inquire about his little pets, 
where their mother had left them, and how was their 
health when she came away — did they often talk about 
their father, and had they grown much since he left — 
and, as he often looked in the glass, seeing his own 
altered appearance, he wondered if his pets would know 
him when he returned to them — and many questions 
such as these, that often put to a very severe test his 
wife’s ingenuity to evade their force ; and they made 
great demands on her resolution, to enable her to sup- 
press her emotion. 

One day, as they sat by themselves, each had re- 
mained some time silent, apparently musing on some 
absorbing subject, in regard to the present or the past, 
when the captain said : “ My dear, you never mention 
our children except when I ask you a question concern- 
ing them ; and even then you answer me evasively.” 

“ Well, my dear Robert,” saidi she, “ if I do not say 
much about them, I do assure you that I think a great 
deal about them — my sweet little angels.” 

At this the captain started, exclaiming : “ Angels I 
what do you mean, my dear ?” 

“ Now, my dear Robert, my dear love, I see that you 
are so very nervous that you cannot bear at present to 
refer to any thing that will have the most distant ten- 
dency to excite ; and to quiet you on this one topic, I 
tell you once for all, that they are perfectly happy now, 
as I have said so many times before.” 

He again seemed agitated as before the emotion was 
strong within, and, with an attempt at suppression, he 
muttered to himself the words, “Happy now — happy 
now — what does that mean ?” 


62 


LILLIANJ OR, 


CHAPTER VI. 

Time sped onward ; but he left the marks of his ad- 
vancing footprints, ineffaceable in the stirring period to 
which we are now referring. Freedom had erected her 
standard, and it was floating in the breeze : her sons, 
too, had drawn the sword, and had thrown away the 
scabbard. And that sword was destined never to be 
idle ; but to do deeds of daring worthy of fame, so long 
as there is to be found a single tyrant on the face of 
the earth, who shall be foolhardy enough to attempt to 
stay its onward progress. 

When Captain Walters had sufficiently recovered to 
be able to converse freely, without danger, the above 
and kindred topics engaged much of their attention, 
and he found in Captain Baldwin a spirit somewhat con- 
genial with his own, — a man who had seen much of the 
world, and a close observer of human nature, he had 
read intelligently things, times, and circumstances, as 
well as men and books. He was a ripe scholar, having 
won high academic honors in one of the famed universi- 
ties on the continent of Europe ; and then, to crown the 
whole, he was a very pious man. His most excellent 
and amiable wife was a helpmeet indeed for him. So 
that, from what we have already seen of Captain and 
Mrs. Walters, it may very naturally be supposed that 
there must have grown up among them all, something 
more than an ordinary attachment. And then Captain 


woman’s endukance. 


63 


Baldwin, like himself, ever manifested an open, upright, 
and straightforward candor, that completely banished 
all reserve. 

One day they had been talking quite freely upon a 
number of subjects of a general nature, and relating in- 
cidents of their own lives, and circumstances with which 
they had become acquainted or had seen in their travels, 
when, after a short lull in the conversation. Captain 
Baldwin rather abruptly exclaimed : 

“ Oh, by-the-by, W alters, I have often wondered how 
it was that you got hold of that system of sword-exer- 
cise ; — do let me know.^^ 

Captain Walters responded byremarking: “To tell 
you the truth, Baldwin, I have as often had the same 
idea haunting my brain as to how, and where, you came 
by that same system, when I was under the impression 
that I was the only one on this continent who had ever 
learned it.” 

“ Well,” said Captain Baldwin, “ as I was the first to 
ask the question, after you have given me your relation, 
I will in return inform you how I attained the know- 
ledge and practice of the same system.” 

With this understanding between them. Captain Wal- 
ters made the following statement. “ At the close of my 
college studies, my father intended that I should take a 
two years^ stroll over the continent of Europe, to enable 
me to gain a more familiar knowledge of the world 
before seriously settling down to my profession, which 
he wished, as indeed was my own choice, should be that 
of the army. Being fully equipped with a supply of 
the ‘ sinews of war’ in my purse, and a great number 
of letters of introduction to some of the first families 


64 : 


LILLIAN; OE, 


residing on the route that it was intended I should 
take, and with a heart as buoyant as that of a new- 
fledged eagle, I set out upon my journey. And as 
there was a season of comparative peace at that time 
in Europe, I found no difficulties to impede my onward 
progress. 

“As is usually the case at the early opening of spring, 
all the highways of travel on the continent of Europe 
were thronged with the very elite of society ; and you 
may suppose that a young man of my flattering pros- 
pects would feel himself perfectly at home in such com- 
pany. But, as it was my destination to be a soldier, I 
suppose, a little pardonable pride, as well as a good 
degree of ambition, induced me to select for my asso- 
ciates gentlemen of the same predilections. And it so 
happened, that as I was on the point of leaving Ger- 
many and entering the eastern frontiers of Switzerland, 
I fell in company with a noble-looking gentleman and 
his son, a fine, intelligent youth, and I suppose some- 
where about my own age. It required very little cere- 
mony for two young men so circumstanced to form an 
intimacy, and especiallj^ as we were bound nearly on 
the same course in our travels. And then it would take 
no very long time, and still less labor, for two ardent 
young minds, just entering upon the great world, by an 
assimilation of tastes, to form an intimate friendship ; 
and, in short, we did become devoted and inseparable 
companions for the entire of our future continental 
travels. And this close intimacy with the son, of course 
brought me in constant contact with the father, a Prus- 
sian officer, and a special favorite of Frederick the 
Great. At that time, this gentleman was considered 


woman’s endurance. 65 

the best swordsman in the Prussian army, if not on the 
continent of Europe. 

“ It has sometimes suggested itself that a little 
selfishness might have prompted the father’s sedulous 
attentions to me ; for while he was instructing me in 
the art of self-defence, he was also completing his own 
son’s education in the masterly use of the sword. After 
imparting his instructions, he would then leave us to 
put in practice the theory that he had laid down. Inde- 
pendent of the cuts, the guards, and the parries, he was 
always very emphatic in requiring the firm grasp of the 
sword, the rigid arm, with at the same time the free, 
flexible, and unrestrained play of the wrist, the steady 
and fixed gaze of the eye placed on the eye of one’s op- 
ponent. These, with an unswerving nerve, were a few 
of the instructions that were considered of prime impor- 
tance by him, and to be observed like the laws of the 
Medes and Persians. It was not long before each of 
us became completely infatuated with this exercise, and 
entirely oblivious to all other pursuits ; while the father 
would often stand for hours, and gaze in raptures as we 
were each trying to catch the other off his guard. 

“But, at the expiration of the time allotted for my 
travels, you may be very sure that we parted with 
many regrets, and with sincere protestations of undying 
friendship ; and many promises were plighted to con- 
tinue our correspondence by letter. For ^ome short 
time we were faithful to our pledges, and quite a num- 
ber of epistles of a highly interesting character passed 
between us. Owing, however, to the troubles that 
sprang up on the continent of Europe, as well as in 
this country, I have for some years entirely lost sight 


66 


lilLLIAN; OR, 


both oC father and son ; but have often thought that I 
should much like to hear of Colonel Schwartz or his 
son.” 

At the mention of this .■'cme Captain Baldwin started 
with extreme surprise : and seizing with great, energy 
the arm of Captain Walters, in stentorian voice cried 
out, “ What name was that‘i:” 

At the violence of this movement Captain Walters 
was completely bewildered ; and Mrs. Walters, who was 
sitting at a small taide with her sewing, and listening 
to the conversation in silence, struck with a kind of 
amazement, with one bound wf' S by the side of her hus- 
band. Her small stanJ dew In one direction, her sewing 
in another, her scissors here, her thimble there — all was 
in a state of perfect confusion. 

Captain Baldwin on looking around him and seeing 
what he had done, with a hearty laugh said : “ How 
ridiculously I have acted I how could I have so far for- 
gotten myself I But all this wants explaining : and 
then you may judge for yourselves whether it was not 
natural for me to feel a little excited under the circum- 
stances.” 

*‘Well,” said Captain Walters, “let us have the ex- 
planation, for there must be something very remarkable 
and well worth the hearing, and I am all impatience to 
have it.” 

“ Hold on a little,” said Captain Baldwin ; “ I think 
that it would be as well for me, in the firt t place, to give 
my version as to the way in which I obtained the know-- 
ledge of that system of sword-exercise, and then I shall 
perhaps be found to be killing two birds with one 
stone.” 


woman’s endurance. 67 

And so, all parties being cooled down, and Mrs. 
Walters having collected her scattered apparatus and 
material, and the company having again taken their 
seats, Captain Walters said: 

“Now, Baldwin, have the kindness to favor us with 
your narration ; for, since your last flare-up, I am more 
curious than ever. There appears to be some deep 
mystery involved, and I am waiting to hear it unrav- 
elled.’^ 

Captain Baldwin at once commenced : 

“ Then,” said he, “ you must know that my father was 
a merchant in the good old city of Boston, and quite 
unlike your English aristocracy, for he was the maker 
of his own fortunes. He began life with little more than 
a good stout heart, a clear head, and a pair of ready 
and willing hands. By strict integrity, and untiring 
industry and patience, he succeeded in accumulating 
quite a handsome property. Thus, finding that circum- 
stances were so propitious, and fortune smiling upon 
his honest labors, he concluded that I, his eldest son, 
should be fully qualified, so far as mental culture was 
in question, to join him in his general enterprise. And 
even in the alternative of a long and prosperous life or 
an early death, I was destined to succeed him as princi- 
pal in his extensive commercial engagements. To this 
end, the best seats of learning that this country then 
afforded were selected for my tuition. 

“ As our house had very extensive connections on the 
continent of Europe, as well as in other parts of the 
world, my father had been obliged to depend for much 
of his correspondence to the faithfulness of foreigners in 
translating the letters. Determined that I should not 


68 


LILLIAN; OR, 


be subjected to the same inconvenience, or be liable to 
suffer the same losses to which he had been exposed 
through the want of a liberal education, he decided, after 
mature deliberation, to send me to the celebrated Uni- 
versity at Bonn, in Westphalia, Prussia, where I would 
be able to acquire a thorough general knowledge, and 
proficiency in all the languages that I might need in 
my future commercial transactions. 

“ Nothing could have been more congenial to my own 
tastes and inclinations, or more gratifying to my ardent 
thirst for knowledge, than was this arrangement. It 
was in full accordance with my then impulsive nature, 
and I promptly made up my mind that my father’s 
highest hopes and best wishes should meet with a com- 
plete response on my part. 

It would be at once tedious and unnecessary for me 
to state minutely all the preparations for the voyage, or 
to narrate the incidents that occurred while on the pas- 
sage itself, which, dear knows I was long and dreary 
enough. Suffice it to say, that after many a toss and 
tumble in one of the diminutive vessels of those days, I 
arrived in Liverpool. From there I again started on 
my journey, and, after many stoppages and delays, I 
was at length pleased to find myself at my destination. 
You may be sure that I had a good deal of the ’cute 
Yankee about me, and that I set myself to my studies 
with a will. While many of my classmates were merely 
dragging along to kill time with the study of only a few 
subjects, I resolved to take a wide range in my pur- 
suits, with a full determination, at the same time, to 
thoroughly understand whatever came under my notice. 
I had not been long at college before I gained a reputa- 


woman’s endueance. 


69 


tion for great industry, and some of the professors were 
pleased to point to me as an example to the more lazy 
and thoughtless students, on account of my close appli- 
cation and proficiency in learning. There was another 
thing that appeared to be in my favor, and that was my 
being an American. For this reason, my company was 
generally acceptable in most of the best families of the 
neighborhood. Among the rest, I was often invited to 
spend whatever spare time I might have at a gentle- 
man’s mansion, a few miles distant from the college ; 
and, as the invitation was a general one, I, as often as 
1 possibly could, took advantage of the gentleman’s 
kindness, as it proved the means of relieving the ennui 
of college life. To tell you the truth, there was another 
great attraction ; for he had two fine, blooming, beauti- 
ful, and highly educated daughters, and three intelli- 
gent and active sons. I am not going to say whether 
it was the daughters or the sons that proved to be the 
main inducement for my frequent visits, or in which I 
felt the deepest interest. But, allow me to say that the 
sons always seemed to be the very pride of their father, 
and on whose education he had bestowed the greatest 
attention ; for they were each of them destined to the 
same profession as himself, which was that of a soldier. 
When I first arrived at college, the eldest son had al- 
ready been in the Prussian army for some years. The 
other two were then at college, and the elder of these 
became my college chum and my constant companion. 
Every spare moment of our college life was spent in the 
practice of the sword-exercise, of which the father ap- 
peared to be a most consummate master. He would 
occasionally take the sword himself, to test our skill. 


70 


LILLIAN; OB, 


and to see for himself that all our movements were 
according to rule, or, as he would often say, his own 
perfect system. And then the eldest son often paid a 
visit to his home, and he would be sure to have me 
practise with him at the same sport, for such it seemed 
to be to us all ; and I can assure you that those were 
some of the most pleasant hours of my life. The eldest 
son appeared to be deeply interested in my accounts of 
America. His curiosity was so far excited, that he 
would, on every occasion that might offer, be making 
all kinds of inquiries. As the political sky appeared to 
be rather lowering, he would very often throw out a 
hint that it might prove to be a field where laurels 
could be gathered in his line. And so, by the time that 
my college course was completed, he had fully made up 
his mind that he would accompany me back to my 
native shore. He found but little opposition in procur- 
ing the necessary leave of absence from his regiment, 
through the powerful and prevailing influence of his 
father. And thus, with the necessary outfit, when all the 
other arrangements were made,^ we started on our long 
and perilous journey, and, after all its incidents and ad- 
ventures, safely arrived at the port of Boston. On our 
arrival, finding that the political atmosphere was in such 
a state of dire confusion, and portending storms cf more 
than ordinary magnitude, I, for one, determined to throw 
myself into its very midst, and take a hand in the ^ause 
of my suffering and bleeding country. Having been, 
for the last few years, much in the company of military 
men in Prussia, and being of a naturally inquisitive 
turn of mind, I had gained a good deal of information on 
the subject of military tactics ; and concluding that I 


woman’s endurance. 


71 


should be of most service to my country as a fighting 
man, I at once joined the patriot army. 

“ Now,” said Captain Baldwin, “ I have given you a 
somewhat rambling account of the way in which I be- 
came acquainted with that system of sword exercise.” 

“But,” said Captain Walters, “you have not told us 
the name of the Prussian officer, or of the sons.” 

“Well,” replied Captain Baldwin, “if you promise 
me not to lose your wonted equilibrium, I will tell you 
their names.” 

“ Oh, yes I” said Captain Walters ; “but, after the 
startling evidence that you have just now given us, 
what a remarkable example you are of that patience 
you are so zealously preaching up! But at all events 
let us have it, and I will be all attention.” 

“Well, then,” said Captain Baldwin, “that same 
Prussian officer is none other than your noble-looking 
Switzerland traveller, and his son, the youthful com- 
panion of your continental rambles. Thus is explained 
what proved so great a mystery to both of us — how 
we learned the same system of sword-exercise, each 
having been instructed by the same master. It will 
gratify you to learn that I expect that same youthful 
companion of yours to pay me a visit in the course of 
this week or the next.” 

At this announcement Captain Walters seemed to be 
almost frantic with delight, and impatient for the arri- 
val of his old friend. His inquiries were put in all the 
forms that his excited imagination could suggest, — so 
much so, indeed, that his wife was obliged to again and 
again suggest to him that his nerves were as yet far 
too weak to bear further excitement. 


72 


LILLIAN; OR, 


CHAPTER VII. 

At about this period of our narrative there came on a 
visit a sister of Mrs. Baldwin. These two ladies were 
natives of one of the New England States, and of the 
pure stock of the Pilgrim Fathers. They were both of 
them prim and precise in all their movements, and very 
methodical in their words and actions ; but, when the 
outside crust of their apparently cold, formal manners 
had been broken through by a little familiar conversa- 
tion, and this supported by entire, honest confidence, 
it was then found that they had the kindest hearts and 
the most genial and amiable dispositions. They were 
perfect patterns of thrift and frugality. There were no 
bits or odds and ends lost in their housekeeping ; but 
each of these had its appropriate use and place, and 
every such trifle contributed to swell the general savings 
of the year ; and it might be seen that all their in-door 
arrangements were formed with a single eye to com- 
fort. 

Their moral sentiments, and their views of the pro- 
prieties of life, had such a oneness with the whole of the 
community in which they had been reared, that any 
deviation from the general type would have been con- 
templated with something like horror. In fact, the 
sharpness of the manners, and the sternness of the moral 
sentiments of these ladies had, from their uniformity and 




woman’s endukance. 


73 


rigidity, somewhat of the general character of cast- 
iron ; but, when we contemplate their theology, their re- 
ligious views and sentiments, and the influence these 
had in the formation of their whole character, they pre- 
sent to our view somewhat of the characteristics of 
cast-steel. But we cannot bring ourselves to think that 
all this was meaningless, or without a purpose, in the 
cradle of the great American nation. No I These New 
England dames were to be the nursing, the foster- 
mothers of the young Republic, and to give it a start 
deeply imbued with the very spirit of unswerving 
virtue. 

Now, it may be supposed that all this would present 
an entirely new phase of life and of human nature to 
Mrs. Walters. She had been brought up in the midst of 
the very cream or upper class of polished society, and 
both her manners and her mind had been formed on that 
genei’al model. She could use her needle or her pencil 
with unsurpassed skill ; the charms of music, when she 
put forth her powers, either with fingers or voice, ap- 
peared with surprising brilliancy ; but with all these 
accomplishments, and more, in the department of house- 
keeping she was a novice. Notwithstanding that she 
had resided for a few years in the city of Paris with a 
wealthy lady acquaintance and companion, whose friend- 
ship she had formed when at school, so that she had had 
all the advantages which wealth and an extensive inter- 
course with the highest grades of fashionable society 
could possibly confer ; yet there had always been a care- 
ful and watchful eye over her, and an almost maternal 
affection for her, in the person of a very prudent and 
pious female, who had been born to wealth and station, 

4 


74 


LILLIAN; OB 


but who, tlirough reverses, had found it necessary to 
occupy this subordinate position ; and then, her ex- 
penses had at all times been defrayed in some very 
mysterious way that she had never been fully able to 
comprehend. 

Added to all the advantages of high position and 
thorough mental culture, she had a true woman^s per- 
ception, which often proved a safeguard, and which 
enabled her to see almost at a single glance the real 
character of parties into whose company she was thrown ; 
and she had, in a high degree, woman^s apt facility in 
accommodating herself to the whims and wayward 
wishes of others, without in the least compromising her 
own mild dignity. 

There appeared to be a mutual recognition, on the 
part of Mrs. Walters and these two New England 
ladies, of those higher and nobler traits of character with 
which they were so abundantly endowed ; though it 
must, in candor, be acknowledged that each of them 
soon discovered that there were discrepancies of opin- 
ion between them on many subjects, both national and 
religious. They had the sterling good sense to waive all 
allusion to those comparatively trifling points of differ- 
ence, and to meet on those broad, grand truths that 
mainly affected their common humanity. They could, 
and very often did, pray with each other at a common 
throne of grace, and talk sweetly over those precious 
truths that related to their personal salvation through 
Christ alone. 

It does not, however, come within the range of our 
purpose to moralize on detached incidents, but to give a 
faithful narration of the lives of the individuals before 


woman’s endurance. 


75 


us, in order that we may illustrate a grand principle in- 
volved in the moral government of the world, as well as 
in that of individuals. 

After the sister of Mrs. Baldwin had been about a 
week on her visit, it was arranged that Mrs, Walters 
should return home with her. That home lay in a south- 
erly direction, somewhat more than fifty miles distant, 
and not very far from where the city of Albany now 
stands. It was considered that Captain Walters, now 
so far recovered, and still gaining strength every day, 
would not suffer very seriously from his wife^s short ab- 
sence ; but he had now been more than six months in a 
state of extreme suffering from his wounds, which had 
made serious inroads upon his system, and, indeed, much 
affected his noble manly appearance. 

The long and severe winter was now past ; the for- 
ests were again clothed in their beautiful foliage ; 
Nature had put on her holiday dress, and was now vocal 
with the song of birds, the bark of the squirrel, and the 
continual hum of unnumbered insects. On the com- 
pletion of the arrangements for the homeward journey 
of Mrs. Brewster, accompanied by Mrs. Walters, the 
rude home-made wagon, with its wooden springs, was 
brought to the door at very early dawn. 

At the time of which we are writing, it was no trifling 
matter to go on a journey of fifty miles through the 
forests in that sparsely settled country. The party had 
to be well armed, both male and female, as it was no 
very uncommon occurrence for travellers of that day to 
meet with most unwelcome foes in the prowling wolf 
or sly and savage panther, if not the equally dreaded 
roving Indian. 


76 


LILLIAN; OR, 


Notwithstanding all the obstacles that impeded tbeir 
progress, from the abominably bad roads or otherwise, 
thanks to the span of sturd}^ horses and a skilful driver, 
they were fortunate enough to arrive at their destina- 
tion a little before the sun had set in the west. 

Mrs. Walters found the comfortable farm-house of Mr. 
and Mrs. Brewster almost the counterpart of the one 
that she had left — every part so clean, so neat ; every 
thing in its place, and a place for every thing. It was 
no difficult matter for her to feel herself perfectly at 
home, and especially after the warm and right hearty 
greeting that she received from the cheerful and open 
countenance of Mr. Brewster. 

Although Mrs. Walters appeared to be a silent ob- 
server, she was none the less a watchful student. She 
was laying in a large store of frugal maxims, and tak- 
ing those lessons in housekeeping which might prove no 
very great burden to carry, even should they never be 
required in practice ; but, if ever she should be thrown, 
by the revolving wheel of time, and by the possible 
changing of circumstances, into a position that might 
call them into requisition, she would then be able to 
turn them to good and profitable account. And where 
is there a daughter, a sister, a wife, or a mother who 
can so scan the future as to say with confidence what 
they may or may not require ? 

After Mrs. Walters had gone, and her husband was 
left to the free exercise of his own thoughts and actions, 
he felt excessively lonely. He could not rest, for five 
minutes in succession, in any one place or position. He 
would sit down in his easy-chair, then as hastily start 
up ; would walk to the window, whistle or hum a tune, 


woman’s endurance. 


77 


take a walk in the garden, or talk nonsense to the 
chickens. If he met any of the family, he would ask 
for the hundredth time when they thought Captain 
Schwartz would arrive, and which way he would be 
likely to come ; or if they thought, were he to take a 
walk in a certain direction, there would be any proba- 
bility of his meeting him. In fact, he was a torment to 
himself, and a perfect bore to all who came near him ; 
such had been the enervating influence of the very try- 
ing season through which he had come. 

And then he had no congenial company to divert his 
mind or engage him in conversation ; for Captain Bald- 
win, as was his custom, had been away for some days 
on his professional duty, and was not expected back for 
some time to come. 

Quite unlooked-for. Captain Baldwin arrived at home 
after Mrs. Walters had been gone about four days. On 
his arrival, he went straight to the room of Captain 
Walters, and, after a very warm greeting, presented a 
small paper package to him, saying — 

“ Walters, here is something that may prove interest- 
ing to you. It came into my possession a few days 
ago. Although we have now rather warm work on hand, 
I thought that I would just run away for once in my 
life and bring it to you. I have not time to say much to 
you, but I see that you are getting along bravely, and 
it is my impression that you will be able to stand a 
pretty tough tug with the sword by the time that your 
old friend Captain Schwartz is here, which cannot now 
be long.” 

After about three hours’ stay, allowing just sufficient 
time for his horse to feed and rest himself a little. Cap- 


78 


LILLIAN; OR, 


tain Baldwin again vaulted into his saddle, and was 
soon lost to the sight of Ids anxious but heroic and 
patriotic family. 

Captain Walters, on the reception of the package 
from Captain Baldwin, wondering what it could con- 
tain, sat down in his chair, and, with a small table be- 
fore him, began very impatiently to untie and unfold 
it ; when, lo and behold ! he discovered that there was 
every letter that he had written to his wife from the 
day when he first started with the army from Montreal. 

And to his astonishment and joy, there too was every 
letter that had been written to him by his wife ; and all 
these placed in the package in the exact consecutive 
order in which they had been sent. To his delight, not 
one of them had been opened ; for their contents were 
of too sacred a character for idle, prying curiosity to 
see. 

With eager though anxious mind, and as far as he 
could with steady eye, but with a trembling hand, he 
began to read the first letter — in fact to devour the very 
words and thoughts. His lips quivered ; the color of 
his cheeks rapidly came and went ; there was a flutter 
at his heart — ^yes, at his heart — but there was a rich 
and delicious feast to his soul, while he scanned over 
these gushings forth of affection from the full, pure heart 
of a loving woman. He read on and on — one, two, 
three, four — but at the fifth letter, it appeared as though 
there were whispered fears from the lips of tender affec- 
tion that all was not right with the health of their dar- 
ling little Robert. In the sixth letter, there was some- 
thing very ominous in the guarded, cautious selection 
of terms. What was the matter with him, he could 


woman’s endurance. 


79 


not see clearly. He rubbed his eyes ; he tr.'ed to read 
again and again ; was it possible — did he read aright — 
did the letter say small-pox, or was he in a dream ? 
Was it true that his little pet was past all hopes of 
recovery — had the foul disease baffled the utmost skill 
of the physician ! 

The letter fell from his hand, but after a while he took 
it up again : he read on, and on ; but the pious breath- 
ings of his wife’s deep devotional spirit found no echo, 
met with no response from his own crushed nature. 
W as it really so — was there no hope, no gleam of light 
to gladden his darkened, downcast spirit ? He« would 
see ; perhaps the next letter might convey better news 
— might afford some slight consolation. With sorrow 
too deep for tears, listlessly and with a hesitancy be- 
tween hope and fear, he takes the next letter. He slowly 
opens it — he reads — but oh ! blank dismay — despair 
is depicted in every feature : body and mind at once lay 
prostrate. 

From the reading of the last letter, the whole truth 
had with the force and quickness of the lightning’s flash 
broke upon his mind — he was childless. For he there 
found faithfully and minutely recorded the successive 
stages of the sickness of his two darling children — his 
Robert and his Elizabeth — together with the hour and 
minute of their death. 

When he came to himself again, he was a changed 
man. It was well for him that he was alone, that there 
might be no witness of such deep sorrow, that nature 
might be left to spend its force, without the interference 
of kind, offlcious sympathy. The heart has its sor- 
rows — of the affections — far too deep and strong to 


80 


LILLIAN: OR 


be assuaged by kincluess from others ; therefore let 
it sorrow in silence, and alone ; for it is a luxury 
that the stoic, the unreflecting, and the unfeeling know 
not of. The rough and coarsely constituted mind may 
look askance, and wonder, if not even sneer, at the deep 
sorrows or the lofty joys of the refined and sensitive 
soul, neither of which can they understand : their very 
nature and affinities lead them to seek other associa- 
tions, and exhibit far different manifestations. 

After Captain W alters had remained for several hours 
in a state of complete prostration, the full realities of 
his situation, in all their Ibreadth, certainty, and dis- 
tinctness, seemed to loom tip before him. In a more 
calm and self-possessed state of mind, with clasped 
hands and uplifted eyes, he breathed forth : “ Oh, my 
Father, help me I” 

This one short simple petition was enough. A num- 
ber of precious promises exactly suited to his state, 
came crowding over his mind : his eye of faith saw 
these as he never saw them before — and he felt their 
force. He now thought that he could see the hand of 
God in all these trials, and that they were designed by 
his Heavenly Father to bring him to himself. And he 
could now fervently and sincerely say, and pray with a 
contrite spirit : “ Oh 1 my Heavenly Father ! I pray 
thee to sanctify all these my heavy afflictions to my 
spiritual well-being, and enable me to glorify thy name.” 
In this chastened and humble frame of mind, he took the 
remainder of his wife’s letters, as well as those that he 
had already read, and perused them again and again. 
And their words, dictated as they had been by the 
sweetness and the breathings forth of a pure and di- 


woman’s endurance. 


81 


vinely instructed soul, were now fully appreciated by 
him. He would often fall upon his knees, and, under 
the influence of a self-sacrificing spirit, dedicate himself, 
body, soul, and spirit, a living sacrifice to God, for the 
remainder of his life. In the fulness of his heart, he 
asked that this laying of the gift upon the altar might be 
owned of God, and be fully ratified and sealed upon his 
conscience by the blood of the everlasting covenant. 

Ever after this, the soldier of an earthly monarch 
became a bold and devoted soldier of the Cross of Christ. 
He was indeed a new man. His spirit, his conversa- 
tion — indeed, his whole walk and conduct — gave clear 
and unmistakable evidence that he had been with Jesus. 
For this ever after appeared to be the only theme on 
which he delighted to dwell. And whenever he alluded 
to his children, with fervor of spirit he would say : “ Oh 1 
I shall go to them, but they will never return to me.” 

He would often say to himself : “ Oh, yes I my own 
dear Eliza might well say that they are perfectly happy 
now ; for they are, indeed, my sweet little angels !” 

From that time forth he became a living epistle, seen 
and read of all men. In the glow and fervor of his new- 
born spirit, he was continually urging all whom he came 
near to seek an interest in the merits of the Saviour ; 
and in the holy aspirations of his own soul, he seemed 
all athirst for the mind that was in Christ. He would 
often exclaim in the language of the Psalmist : “ It is 
good for me that I have been afflicted ; that I might 
learn thy statutes.” But after all, there was nothing 
noisy, nothing boisterous. All was calm, serious, solid ; 
and strong good sense seemed to dictate all his words 
and regulate all his actions. 

4 * 


82 


LILLIAN; OR, 


Mrs. Walters had spent the time at the home of Mr. 
and Mrs. Brewster, comfortable as they could possibly 
make her ; for they thought and made much of their 
guest, and saw clearly that she was a person of no ordi- 
nary character. When the time came for her to return 
to her husband, there was a feeling of mutual regret. 
She had become acquainted with true, genuine American 
character, as seen within the domestic circle ; and she 
knew how to appreciate the beautiful in virtue, though 
clothed in a rustic and homely garb, and buried in the 
backwoods, far beyond the ken of the gay and fashion- 
able world. She had learned lessons of real utility, that 
could never have been gained in any other direction on 
the face of the globe. For necessity, with the New Eng- 
land dames, had indeed been the mother of invention ; 
and this might be seen in the entire routine of domestic 
labor. 

She had now seen a fair sample of a people new, 
as it were, in their origin, and unique in their individ- 
uality, but who were destined to give form and shape 
to a mighty nation, if not eventually to have a power- 
fully controlling influence on the social and political 
state of the world at large. She mourned within her 
own heart that there ever should be a desire in any 
quarter, or in any way, to oppress such a sterling and 
noble-minded people ; or that they should ever be visited 
by war — that greatest of all national scourges and 
curses. But she felt that all that she, a feeble woman, 
wuld do under the circumstances, was to pray that men 
might be led to cultivate the principles of peace, and 
learn war no more : that peace might yet reign between 
people so nearly allied as. those who were then engaged 


woman’s endurance. 83 

in such a deadly, and on one side she was sure, aimless 
and useless strife. 

But the time came for her departure, and on each side 
there was given a few trifles as mementoes of an undy- 
ing friendship. Though, as they expressed themselves, 
severed for a while on earth, they were sure to meet 
again where there would be no war’s alarms, and no 
regrets of parting friends. 

There were no special events to notice in her homeward 
trip, other than the general ones of jolts and jars, the 
threading of the intricacies of forest paths, and perils 
from the crossings of bridgeless brooks. She had not re- 
ceived up to this time any information of the train of cir- 
cumstances with which the reader is already acquainted, . 
and of the deception by her husband of all the letters 
which she had written to him from Montreal, and the 
very pleasing result. Upon the arrival of the vehicle 
at the door of Captain Baldwin’s house, the first person 
who hailed her appearance was her husband — his coun- 
tenance all radiant with smiles. 

With an adroitnes that, for the moment, completely 
surprised her, he handed her down, and her quick eye 
soon detected that there was something more than 
usual to be observed in his manner and behavior. And 
then her ear caught something that was very peculiar 
in his voice : so subdued, yet clear and sweet, that she 
looked at him intently, but said not a word on the sub- 
ject. He seemed to have all the vivacity and buoyancy 
of spirit of his younger days ; but this was seasoned 
with the steady gravity and wisdom of age. She won- 
dered, and pondered in her heart the cause of this great 
change. She saw, too, that his conduct was quite easy 


84 


LILLIAN; OR, 


and natural — nothing assumed for effect’s sake. He 
could talk with her, but his speech was seasoned with 
grace, and there was even a warm emotion in all that 
he said. 

She concluded that there was only one thing that 
could by any possibility produce, in so short a time, 
such a change as she saw in her husband. But, as a 
prudent woman, she awaited the development of circum- 
stances in their own time and way. He himself was 
not at all hasty in his explanation, but went about the 
matter coolly and calmly. At length he brought the 
bundle of letters which he had received from Captain 
Baldwin, and placing them in his wife’s hand, said : 

My own dear Eliza, here is every letter that you wrote 
to me from Montreal. I have read and re-read every 
word of them.” 

All this was done and said so calmly, and with such 
self-possession, that she now actually felt alarmed ; and 
while he was thus cool, she was soon overwhelmed with 
her feelings, and gave vent to them in a flood of tears. 
He then drew her to his bosom, and in a gentle whisper, 
said : “ My own, and my ever dear Eliza 1 you were 
correct in what you said ; for they are perfectly happy 
now. They are indeed our — ^yes I our — sweet little 
angels 1” 

“But, my dear,” said Mrs. Walters, “ they are not ac- 
tually lost to us. No, for we shall again fondle them in 
our arms, and press them to our bosoms.” 

“I am sure of all this, my dear,” said Captain Wal- 
ters ; “ for, after reading your letters, and somewhat 
imbibing your spirit, my Heavenly Father so clearly 
and fully revealed himself to me, that there is not now 


woman’s endurance. 


85 


a doubt upon my mind, or the faintest cloud to dim my 
spiritual sky. Let us praise His holy name I’^ 

And this so lately sorrowful couple fell upon their 
knees, and were soon so deeply engaged with God in 
prayer, that they appeared to be lost to all outward 
things. When, at length, they arose from their knees, 
it might have been seen that they had indeed received a 
full baptism of the Spirit. And now they plighted their 
vows to spend and be spent for God. 

In a few days after the occurrence of the circum- 
stances above narrated. Captain Baldwin was brought 
home — carried by six men on a litter. He had been 
engaged in a severe contest, and been wounded by a 
musket-ball, that had entered between the collar-bone 
and the joint of the right shoulder. All hands were at 
once on the alert to render all the aid they could to the 
wounded man ; but, in the hurry and confusion of the 
moment, some appeared to be at a complete loss what 
to do for the best. Captain Walters, however, was from 
the first as cool and collected as though nothing more 
than ordinary had happened : not that there was any 
want of feeling on his part, for he at once laid the pa- 
tient in bed, and dressed the wound with as much skill 
as a practical physician, and with as much tenderness 
as the most feeling mother would have shown to a sick 
babe. He was never for a moment from the bedside ; 
every breath was noticed ; every whisper attended to ; 
every want promptly supplied. In fact, every relief was 
afforded that the necessities of the case required. If 
Captain Walters had been brought up from his early 
youth in a hospital, he could not have felt more at home, 
to all appearance, than when attending to his sick 


86 LILLtAN;OR, 

friend. He was indeed unremitting and unwearied in 
his attentions. 

When the family physician arrived, he declared that 
skill and kindness could not have been more judiciously 
employed, and he questioned whether he could have 
done as well himself. On examining the wound, he said 
there were no bones broken ; and he thought, when the 
inflammation had subsided a little, the ball might be 
extracted without much difiBculty, and with compara- 
tively little sufiering. Thus thej’- were led to put the 
most favorable construction on the case. 

Captain Baldwin himself had from the very first ex- 
hibited the greatest equanimity of mind. But for the 
faintness which he felt from loss of blood, and the 
excessive pain that he endured from the inflammation of 
the wound, no person would have supposed that there 
had been any thing very seriously the matter with him. 
He had always been remarkable for a high flow of 
generous and noble feeling, and this had placed him far 
above the reach of petty annoyances. And now that ho 
was called upon to suffer a little confinement, there was 
nothing like fretfulness or a repining spirit manifested, 
but rather a merry, happy buoyancy of mind. 

About a week after Captain Baldwin had been placed 
on the sick-list, and just as the day was drawing to a 
close, it was announced that there was a stranger ap- 
proaching the house on horseback. It was soon seen 
by his dress and accoutrements, as well as by the trap- 
pings on his horse, that he was a military man. It was 
not long before he was recognized as the long-expected 
Captain Schwartz. The greeting was at once cordial 
and confidential between him and Captain Baldwin. It 


woman’s endurance. 


87 


had beon arranged beforehand, between Captain Bald- 
win and Captain Walters, on the suggestion of the 
former, that there should be no mention made of the 
presence of the latter, in order to increase, if possible, 
the agreeable surprise that this would prove to Captain 
Schwartz. So that, after the introductory ceremony of 
the two friends already in the secret. Captain Baldwin, 
in a kind of off-hand way, said : “ Oh ! by-the-by, 
Schwartz, I have a gentleman here with whom I wish 
to make you acquainted.” 

On the presentation of these two. Captain Schwartz 
eyed Captain Walters as though there was a kind of 
recognition going on in his own mind, that very visibly 
betrayed itself both in his looks and conduct ; and, turn- 
ing to Captain Baldwin, he said in a kind of half-medi- 
tative way : “What did you say this gentleman’s name 
was, Baldwin ?” 

“ Oh,” said Captain Baldwin, “ that is a friend of mine 
— his name is Walters.” 

Captain Schwartz, looking still more puzzled than 
before, said: “ Walters 1 Walters 1” and looking him 
full in the face, he inquired : “ Have you, or had you 
ever, a brother ?” 

Captain Walters, imitating the New England- twang 
in his speech, replied : “ Well, I guess I had once.” 

Captain Schwartz hung down his head and muttered 
something to himself, part of which was : “ The same 
name, that is sure ; and as like as two peas.” 

The parties who were in the secret enjoyed this 
amazingly, and were not at all backward in posing Cap- 
tain Schwartz as to what he could be thinking about — 
insinuating that he was bewitched. 


88 


LILLIAN; OR, 


Captain Baldwin, with great apparent candor, coming 
to his relief, requested that he would explain to him the 
difficulty under which he appeared to be laboring. 

“ Well,’^ said Captain Schwartz, “ some eleven or 
twelve years ago, as I was travelling on the continent 
of Europe with my father, we fell in company with a 
young Englishman of the name of Walters, the same as 
that of your friend ; and I do declare, that if I had met 
him in any other place, and under other circumstances, 
I should have had no hesitation whatever in saying that 
this was the same person.’^ 

“ Yes,” said Captain Baldwin ; “ but you see how 
easily we may be deceived. And I have no doubt that 
you, as well as myself, have seen individuals whom we 
supposed very like each other ; yet if we could have 
seen those same persons stand together, we should have 
been able at once to discover our mistake.” 

“Well,” said Captain Schwartz, “after this I shall 
never place any reliance on my own perceptive powers ;” 
at the same time scrutinizing the features and person of 
Captain Walters, and again saying : “Well, I am com- 
pletely deceived this time, I must acknowledge.” 

On this declaration being made by Captain Schwartz, 
Captain Walters, thinking that this scene of deception 
had gone far enough, stepped forth with extended hand, 
and assuming his own natural voice, said : “ Well, my 
old friend Schwartz, how do you do ? I am so glad to 
see you !” 

On this sudden transition of affairs, the confusion of 
Captain Schwartz appeared to be still more confounded. 
He looked at Captain Baldwin, then at Captain Walters, 
and he actually seemed for some moments to be unable, 


woman’s endurance. 


89 


with any thing like certainty, to realize his true posi- 
tion, as to whether he was in a dream or really wide 
awake. But after Captain Baldwin had enjoyed a good 
hearty laugh at his expense, and a short explanation 
had been given, the two old friends were warm in their 
congratulations, and quite overjoyed at this unexpected 
meeting. 



90 


LILLIAN; OR, 


CHAPTER VIII. 

It may very naturally be supposed that three such 
men, who had so extensively seen the world, and from 
so raanj^ standpoints studiously contemplated it in the 
mass, as well as in the individual character, could not 
be long in want of congenial subjects for conversation. 
And so rapidly the time wore away, that it was far past 
the hour of midnight before they separated, each be- 
taking himself to his couch, though sleep proved reluc- 
tant to be wooed to their relief. 

Among the many topics that came under their notice 
for future discussion, it may be supposed that one very 
fruitful subject would be — and to which they would 
often allude — the principles of liberty that were then 
animating the breasts of American patriots. On this 
theme Captain Baldwin was a perfect enthusiast ; yet 
he was always careful to use no language that might 
wound, or in the least interfere with the views or feel- 
ings of Captain Walters. Captain Walters would listen 
apparently with great interest, but said little or nothing 
on these subjects ; though on one occasion he did make 
the remark, that he was a subject and a soldier of the 
British crown, and could not conscientiously interfere 
with these opposing national politics, as it would ill 
become him to exhibit any thing like dereliction to his 
oath of allegiance. “But,” said he, “I am fully con- 


woman’s endurance. 


91 


vinced that these principles must have a most astound- 
ing influence on the governments of Europe.” 

“ Influence I” said Captain Schwartz, with vehemence, 
" why, they will spread over Europe like wildfire ; and 
will inaugurate quite a new state of things. This pe- 
riod and these circumstances will prove another start- 
ing-point in the world’s great and grand drama. Men 
will awake as from the deep sleep of ages ; they will 
begin to think for themselves ; and they will see and 
feel that tliey are a power in the world : they will assert 
their claims and demand their rights. But my mind is 
deeply impressed with the most fearful forebodings ; for 
in the first awakenings of men who have been so long 
kept in the dark, and so heavily oppressed as the people 
of Europe, the fiery spirits that will be evolved by cir- 
cumstances, will act upon and urge onward the indis- 
creet, and will let loose the unbridled passions of the 
masses to deeds of blood and wrong the direst and the 
darkest ; and all this will be done in the name and for 
the cause of liberty.” 

“ Why, this has not been the case with us,” said Cap- 
tain Baldwin. “ It is true that there have been, as 
might have been expected in a civil war, isolated cases 
of brutal butchery on both sides of the contestants ; but 
the people, as well as those who have been the leading 
minds in the movement, have from the very first had a 
definite object in view, and they have nevef for one mo- 
ment swerved from that path which was sure to bring 
them eventually to the desired goal.” 

“ Ah, yes” said Captain Schwartz ; “ but you must 
remember that your leaders and your people had been 
schooled to just thinking and right acting. The prin- 


92 


LILLtAN; OR, 


ciples of the Pilgrim Fathers had moulded the national 
sentiment, and shaped their morals. It was love of true 
national liberty that at the first brought your fathers 
and mothers to the shores of New England. And they 
brought with them the open Bible, that palladium of 
civil and religious freedom. 

“ The descendants of those fathers and mothers have, 
from their cradles, breathed the air of liberty, and been 
nurtured in its principles, while at the same time they 
have been reared in a state of society characterized by 
almost primitive simplicity, far away from those old 
systems that had so long corrupted, cramped, and ener- 
vated all the native energies of man. It was, therefore, 
contrary to the very nature of things to suppose that 
such a people, and so circumstanced, would long brook 
the restraints and oppressions of despotism. Here 
you had a people fully prepared and every way worthy 
of the freedom which they demanded ; and it has been 
the potency of the public will that has wrenched the 
rod from the hand of the oppressor. But, at the pres- 
ent moment, things are far otherwise in Europe ; the 
masses are there purposely kept in ignorance, that the 
will of the ruler may sway them to suit his own sinister 
purposes ; and if the people once get a glimpse of the 
flimsy barriers that hold them in restraint, those bar- 
riers will prove but as the merest cobweb before the first 
general uprising. The popular fury once fully aroused, 
will, in its frenzy, blindly strike friend and foe alike, and, 
in its madness, may eventually even destroy itself. So, 
when casting its horoscope through the coming century, 
the mind shudders at the prospect it reveals to the peo- 
ple of Europe 1” 


woman’s endurance. 

“ But,” said Captain Baldwin, “ would you rather that 
things should continue as they are — that the people 
should be kept in ignorance, and be considered only as 
the vassals and drudges of those who are pleased to 
entitle themselves the upper class, or the higher orders, 
and so avoid that state of things which your imagina- 
tion has portrayed ?” 

“ Why,” said Captain Schartz, “ I am fully persuaded 
things cannot continue in their present state ; for I, very 
early in life, learned a sentiment from my mother that 
has had a controlling influence on my own opinions and 
actions, and by which I have been able to judge of those 
of other people. It is this — ‘ Jehovah reigneth ; let the 
earth rejoice.^ ” 

On the utterance of these words Captain Walters 
gave a start, and looked most intently at the speaker. 
The reader will have little trouble in divining the cause 
of this, when he recollects that the above are the words 
always found in the letters received by Mrs. Walters 
from the Black Phantom. 

But Captain Schwartz continued : “ It is and ever has 
been deeply impressed upon my very heart, that the 
present state of things among men is an infraction on 
the laws of the universe. Every thing appears out of 
joint — the guilty great are triumphant, and the virtuous 
poor are oppressed. There is only one way by which I 
can reconcile this state of things with the thought that 
God still holds the reins of government in His own 
hands ; and that is, that He is now allowing the guilty 
rulers sufficient time to fill up the measure of their ini- 
quity. And it is my firm conviction that the governors, 
both in Church and State, in Europe, have nearly ar- 


94 


LILLIAN; OR, 


rived at that point. The principles that are to consum- 
mate all this are those that are now working in the 
minds of you Americans — principles that must raise 
your nation to a high point of greatness and prosperity. 
Other nations and people, seeing your wealth and 
power, will emulate your conduct and follow your exam- 
ple, This must be so ; for men, like children, are imita- 
tive. The course of principles is ever onward. Man is 
a progressive being, and nations must advance, unless 
kept back bj^ selfish rulers and unwise laws. 

“ There is one great and crying evil in Europe, that 
must, while it lasts, render almost futile the exertions of 
the poor man to secure a homestead for himself and 
family, while it retards the material prosperity of na- 
tions. I refer to monopoly of the land. Surely the day 
cannot be far distant when the landless will assert their 
claims to a portion of this, as the indisputable right of 
every man who has the means to purchase. This cen- 
tury is far in advance of the last in many points, and 
yet people at this day only see men as trees walking ; 
but your people have made a grand move in advance, 
that must give accelerated speed to the world’s progress. 
And so, from this starting-point, the wildest fancy may 
not be able to picture forth the degree of light and 
knowledge that will actually blaze forth and spread 
over the world in the coming centurj^ ; and the man who 
is a lover of his kind cannot contemplate the future, after 
the present threatening clouds have cleared away, with- 
out the most exultant feelings — for freedom, and her 
twin-sister, knowledge, must spread over the nations, 
and draw all men within their kindly grasp.” 

“Then,” said Captain Walters, “you suppose that 


woman’s endurance. 95 

the capacity of man will enlarge with favoring circurn- 
Btances ?” 

“ No, not by any means, said Captain Schwartz ; “ for 
it is not within the power of man or of circumstances to 
give intellect. They may, and very often do, foster it, 
but never confer it. The will of man has no control in 
the case whatever. You may prepare your ground, and 
use your own judgment in the selection of the kinds and 
quality of the fruit-trees that you intend shall form your 
orchard ; and you may, to a very great extent, control 
and mould your flocks and herds, by careful selections 
and prudent crossings : but where is the man who shall 
say and determine, at the commencement of his domestic 
life, I will have so many sons, and beforehand make a 
selection from the intellectual or sensible arts that they 
shall pursue, irrespective of the mental provisions of 
nature ? But he may train the whole of his family to 
virtuous habits, and start them in useful and honorable 
pursuits ; and these will prove of more sterling value, 
both to themselves and to the community in which they 
reside, than the most brilliant endowments of genius. 
The spirit of genius is a coy vagrant ; man has no bait 
to lure her to his embrace, or to induce her to do his 
bidding. She is erratic in her movements : now she 
may make choice of a region in the sunny south, — at an- 
other time in the frozen clime of the north. She eludes 
the pampered sons of sloth and the effeminate circle, 
and often selects for her favorite the obscure and the 
poor. Men of might or of power cannot claim her pres- 
ence or command her obedience. Constantine might, 
by his authority, make choice of the beautiful site on 
the shore of the Bosphorus on which to build the city of 


96 


LILLIAN; OR, 

Constantinople ; but, with all the resources of the 
Roman empire at his command, he could not evoke the 
spirit of genius, or infuse the talents of a Phydias into 
any of his numerous subjects to adorn it. The increase 
of wealth, and the consequent corruption of manners, 
has driven the spirit of genius from those places which 
aforetime were her favorite haunts. And all men are 
now more or less practical sophists ; they reason falsely, 
and they act still worse. The clergyman, by continually 
poring over his dogmas, influenced by the contracted’ 
views and principles of sect, contracts his own intellect 
The physician, by spending his time and having his 
attention all absorbed in prescribing to the physical ne- 
cessities of his patients, too often circumscribes the ex- 
tent of his own mental vision. The lawyer is often so 
one-sided and technical as to warp his judgment ; for, 
assiduously intent in his study of statute and common 
law, he foregoes those higher ranges of thought that 
would warm, and cheer, and elevate his soul. Thus it 
may be said that all men are walking in a vain show, 
for their very professions, without great care, have a 
direct tendency to clip the wings of their fancy and cir- 
cumscribe the range of their imagination. 

“ And then it is my impression,” continued Captain 
Schwartz, “ that there never will be an intellect able to 
produce works to surpass those of Homer, so far as in- 
vention and the pure spirit of poetry are in question. 
And again, as to a knowledge of the secret workings of 
the human heart — and, indeed, of that microcosm, man 
— none of the modern authors as yet have equalled, let 
alone surpassed, the ancients ; and it is a question with 
me whether future writers will accomplish more. But 


woman’s endurance. 97 

indeed it matters little, so far as the real happiness of 
man and the well-being of society are to be influenced. 
But what I wish to say is, that that knowledge and all 
that freedom which are now confined to a favored class, 
will then be so equally diffused over the general com- 
munity, that every unit in society shall count for its 
full value, and every individual feel his full weight and 
importance, and, well instructed to that end, have his 
say on all questions of public import : that there shall 
be no one single privilege claimed by any portion of the 
community that shall not be equally and alike the in- 
heritance of all.” 

“Then, is it your opinion,” said Captain Walters, “that 
to possess all the privileges of a member of the body 
politic, and the unrestricted exercise of freedom of 
speech on all subjects, and to have all the avenues of 
knowledge open to his inspection, and his acquirements 
in proportion, — that these will constitute the chief well- 
being of man and of society ?” 

“No, I would not be understood to mean that,” said 
Captain Schwartz ; “ but this I will say, that oppression 
and ignorance were never yet known to foster the kind- 
lier feelings and sentiments of the human heart, or the 
virtues of every-day life, for both the oppressor and the 
oppressed equally suffer. And these virtues, after all, 
are the true and solid basis, as well as the strong bonds 
of human society, and more likely to be cultivated in 
that community where there is the recognition of mutual 
rights in the governor and the governed. Where there 
is the want of virtue on the part of either, there will be 
found the sure indications of public decay ; and if not 
arrested, the destruction of the whole fabric of society 

5 


98 


LILLIAN; OB, 


and of its well-being, sooner or later, is morally certain. 
But where virtue reigns, and the people are well in- 
structed in their duties, — where there is a healthy and 
active public sentiment, a wise government, and a 
thrifty and industrious people, — there national prosper- 
ity, and general as well as individual happiness, must 
be secure. And let me add to this, that where every 
man^s heart and affections are schooled to virtue, these 
will prove of more sterling worth in the ultimate re- 
sults than if every man were a Homer, a Virgil, or a 
Milton.” 

‘‘Yes,” said Captain Baldwin, “those are the grand 
principles advocated by some of our leading men, and 
which have animated us in our long and severe struggle : 
and it appears to me as though Providence has most 
signally interposed in our behalf ; for, though in com- 
parative poverty, poorly clad, and scantily equipped for 
the fearful contest, still, with a firm and unswerving 
trust in the God of battles, victory has at length perched 
upon our banners, and success come in answer to our 
prayers.” 

“ That is perfectly correct,” said Captain Schwartz ; 
“ God has indeed vindicated his own truth. And how 
could it have been otherwise, with such a people and 
with such leaders ? for they were at once faithful to 
their country and their God. And then the world has 
never seen associated in one company such a number of 
wise heads, warm hearts, and such disinterested patriots 
as the signers of your Declaration of Independence. 
Surely the God of providence must have had something 
to do in the raising up of such men, at such a time, and 
for such a purpose. And then the one man, the one 


woman’s endurance. 


99 


great and good man, the noble Washington — emphati- 
cally the Father of his country — long may he live to 
^^^joy the laurels he has so honorably and triumphantly 
won !” 

I am pretty well convinced,’^ said Captain Walters, 
“ that Providence has indeed fought your battles ; for, 
.while there have been wise counsels and prudence on 
your side, with a paucity of the essential materials of 
war, we have had all the necessary equipments and a 
more than ordinarily well-drilled army. But there has 
been confusion in our councils and bewilderment. in our 
aims, and our actions have been without results ; as 
though it were ordered, by a power above that of man, 
that you should succeed in your purposes.” 

‘‘ You may rely upon it,” said Captain Schwartz, 
that though God may appear to be long and often 
mysterious in working out His own purposes, either in 
national or individual cases, yet nothing is more certain 
than that the results will at length vindicate His power, 
wisdom, and goodness ; and, as I have remarked before, 
it has been, under God, the strong arm and stern will 
of the people, influenced by the pure principles of pa- 
triotism, that have not only succeeded in conquering 
their own freedom, but in winning from all true lovers 
of their kind the meed of praise and admiration that 
will be echoed and re-echoed through all time. Next 
only to the devotion and worship we owe to the Su- 
preme Being, the sentiments and feelings of true pa- 
triotism are perhaps the strongest and the purest that 
can sway the human breast ; and when these have 
prompted to the defence or support of one’s country, 
they have produced the highest and noblest characters 


100 


LILLIAN; O R, 


that have ever adorned the history of our race. How 
unlike the mercenary, who sluggishly and mechanically 
buckles on his armor, or takes his place in the ranks, 
looking more at the paltry pittance that may be doled 
out to him, than to those invigorating principles that 
actuate the soul and nerve the arm of the true citizen 
soldier I The latter feels that he is fighting for the 
country that he loves, though he may not own a single 
acre of its soil, — to which he is bound by ties dearer and 
stronger than all others that bind him to the world and 
to life. He holds his personal ease and comfort, his 
property, his blood, his domestic relations, yea, and even 
life itself, at a cheap rate, if he supposes that by such 
sacrifices he may aid in saving and perpetuating his 
beloved country, with all its cherished institutions. 
How patiently and submissively will he submit to the 
hardest labor, to the tiresome drill, the long and toil- 
some march ; how firmly stand in the ranks under the 
hottest fire, and with unfaltering courage dare and do 
in the fiercely-contested battle I And how emphatically 
do these remarks apply to your noble American citizen 
soldiers in their late national contest I Never has there 
been in any conflict, in all this world’s history, so much 
to call forth all that is pure, and good, and holy in the 
great national heart. You have been placed before 
earth and high heaven, as it were, by a train of associa- 
tions, that have exhibited you as one of the best speci- 
mens of social beauty and personal independence.” 

“ But, after all,” said Captain Schwartz, “it is to be 
hoped that the people will not be led to say in their na- 
tional voice, ‘ Mine own arm hath wrought out this great 
deliverance and, in their pride, forget the arm that 


woman’s endurance. 


101 


has been made bare in their behalf, for there is a Provi- 
dence that raises and rules nations. And was it at all 
necessary to illustrate this point, the whole course of the 
world’s history is strewed with incidents that might be 
brought forth to prove the position. It is much more 
diflScult to account for the stupid blindness of some men 
in denying a special Providence, than it is to bring co- 
gent reasons to prove it. However much men or na- 
tions may build themselves up in the false persuasion 
that their disregard of the laws of justice and humanity 
are unnoticed or unrecorded, they may be assured they 
will eventually be most fearfully undeceived.” 



102 


LILLIAN; OR, 


CHAPTER IX. 

Such were the themes that frequently occupied the 
attention and employed the hours of these men, and 
few in that day were better able to discuss those, as 
well as other kindred subjects. But the time now drew 
near for them to part company. They had been brought 
together by a train of remarkable, if not indeed myste- 
rious associations, but each of them had done his duty 
from conscientious motives, although they had taken 
quite opposite sides in the late national contest. Cap- 
tain Walters had fought under the banners of him 
whom the others considered as a despot, and their op- 
pressor ; but the brave and intrepid opponents in arms 
had merged in the gentleman, the scholar, and the Chris- 
tian brother. A friendship had been formed and ce- 
mented between them, that was, to all appearance, des- 
tined to continue for life, and which they had full assur- 
ance of being renewed in a better world ; and although 
each had to take his different and widely divergent road 
in life, yet their sympathies were so entwined, that they 
felt, and warmly expressed, a deep interest in each 
other’s well-being. So much so was this the case, that, 
as the day approached for their departure, it appeared 
painfully too soon, and the parting itself was more like 
the separation of loving brothers than of stern warriors 
who had so lately exhibited their prowess in deadly con- 
flict on the battle-field. 


woman's endurance. 


103 


Before they parted, Captain Baldwin said to Captain 
Walters, “that, although he and his people had been 
engaged in waging war against the English govern- 
ment, he,, for his part, was enabled to distinguish be- 
tween that government and the English people : that 
the Tory aristocracy had far too long held the undis- 
puted control of that government, and had most cruelly 
oppressed their own people, as well as exhibited a de- 
termination to oppress the Americans ; but that there 
had not been wanting noble examples of men who had 
dared to brave the ire of those despots, and in their 
very teeth, in both houses of the British Parliament, 
had dauntlessly vindicated the Americans and their 
cause : that the very names of Barre, of Wilkes, of the 
elder Chatham, and other kindred spirits, were, and 
would be forever, engraven on the hearts of all true 
Americans. And,” said he, “ I believe the time will 
come when the people of England themselves will assert 
their own claims to political, civil, and religious enfran- 
chisement. In their struggles, peaceable or otherwise, 
to that end, they most undoubtedly will have the sym- 
pathies of the entire American people.” 

The parting of the women was characteristic of fe- 
male friends. There had been made great preparations 
for this most important event. Mrs. Baldwin was de- 
termined to show her appreciation of the character of' 
Mrs. Walters by the largeness of her contributions for 
her comfort while travelling. She had made a collection 
of every kind of fruit produced on their farm, and these 
were in every conceivable way of preservation. She 
had selected a large cake of the best white maple- 
sugar, and a quantity of honey in the comb, as well as 


104 


LILLIAN; OR, 


some in a purified state. She had cakes and sweet- 
meats, got up in her own peculiar way. These, she 
said, would be so nice for Brother and Sister Walters to 
eat on their journey North. 

But it would be useless to enumerate all the articles 
with which Mrs. Walters was loaded ; sufiBce it to say, 
that all was done with true American munificence. But 
we must not omit to mention that there was included in 
this general outfit, a roll of written receipts in her own 
handwriting, and embracing information in almost every 
department of frugal housekeeping. And then, as a 
finishing stroke to all, thej>e was carefully folded up 
with the written receipts a copy of the celebrated “ Poor 
Eichard.” 

There were many little mementoes of a more imper- 
ishable nature given on both sides — intended to keep 
alive in their memories, in all their after-days, the very 
agreeable association that had subsisted among them 
for so many months. Of these, the most highly prized 
on all sides, perhaps, were admirable portraits of these 
friends, painted in oil-colors by the accomplished Mrs. 
Walters. Thus, Mrs. Walters took along with her the 
likenesses of Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin and their little boy 
and girl ; those of Mr. and Mrs. Brewster and their little 
girl ; and also that of Captain Schwartz. She left with 
each of the families, portraits of herself and husband. 
All were earnest in their declarations that these paint- 
ings should ever be esteemed as the most sacred and 
valued of their possessions. 

The day at length arrived for the separation — ^the men 
with hearty shaking of hands, and the women and chil- 
dren with ardent and affectionate embraces — all, by 


woman’s endukance. 


105 


their tearful eyes and sad countenances, exhibiting more 
distinctly than words could have done, the inward pangs 
under which they were laboring. They did not separate, 
however, until they had, in a season of devout prayer, 
most fervently committed each other to God, and to the 
word of His grace, which was able to build them up m 
their most holy faith, and to give them inheritance 
among, those who are sanctified. 

It would, perhaps, be useless to attempt to give any 
account of their journey northward, to the city of Mon- 
treal. The roads thitherward had not been improved 
since their last travel over them. Suffice to say, that 
they successfully surmounted all difficulties, and arrived 
pretty well used up with the fatigues of the journey ; 
and especially Captain Walters, who suffered severely 
from his wounds, which were not yet quite healed — the 
jolting of the wagon, from the roughness of the roads, 
causing excessive pain. 

6 * 



loo 


LILLIAN; OR, 


CHAPTER X. 

It may be remembered that we left Captain and Mrs. 
Walters in a state of bewilderment in their own dwell- 
ing in Montreal, after the adventure of Mrs. Walters 
with an aged female in St. Paul street ; and the reader 
has not forgotten our proposal to turn back in our nar- 
rative for about the space of three years, that we might 
have a more perfect view of the main characters in our 
history — developed by a train of very remarkable cir- 
cumstances, in which they were called to suffer, and by 
which their piety and trust in God were put to a severe 
test, but out of which they came like gold purified. 

We will now again take up the thread of our nar- 
rative where we left it as noticed above. 

It is late in an evening of the very early spring of 
the year 1184. Mrs. Walters had been waiting very 
anxiously, and longer than usual, for the return of her 
husband. He at length was heard to approach the front 
door by his expectant wife, who was promptly ready as 
usual to admit him. 

After the first affectionate salutation, the keen eye of 
the loving wife saw that all was not right with the mind 
of her husband. She drew her chair close to his side, 
and taking his hand in her own, and looking him affec- 
tionately in the face, said : “ My dear Robert, what is 
it that is giving your mind so much uneasiness 


woman’s endurance. 107 

With seeming* reluctance he replied : “Not much, my 
dear ; or rather, nothing more than usual.” 

She responded kindly : “ Now I know there is, for I 
see clearly that you are ill at ease. Will you not inform 
your wife, my dear, that she may grieve with you, or 
else join in laying your plaint before the mercy-seat?” 

“Oh I my dear love, my only love ! that is indeed the 
only place to which you and I should carry our sorrows 
— the only place where we shall meet with genuine 
sympathy — where we are sure not to meet with the 
ribald jest or sarcastic jeer — where we shall not have 
our purest motives maligned, our judgments impugned.” 

“ Oh I my dear Robert, I think I know now what 
oppresses you. Has not the Rev. Mr. Wilson been 
again stirring up his partisans against you ?” 

“Yes, he has, my dear ; and is it not passing strange 
that the most recklessly wicked may go to any lengths 
in their conduct before him without rebuke ? The mo- 
ment, however, that one becomes in earnest for the sal- 
vation of one’s soul, not only the men of the world, but 
members of the Church, set up a hue-and-cry after him, 
as though he were not fit to live. I know that you, as 
well as myself, have often suffered most severely from 
his malignant and prejudiced spirit.” 

“ Sure the hands of Christ have been wounded in the 
house of His pretended friends,” said Mrs. W alters. 

“Yes, that is so,” said her husband; “and seeing 
that his remarks are received by the members of the 
mess-room with such zest, he allows no opportunity to 
pass without throwing them out. It is the same with 
his companions of the mess-room. If by a look or a 
word I indicate an indignant resentment of their inso- 


108 


LILLIAN; OB, 


lence, I am met with the remark: ‘Oh, Walters, you 
know that you are converted — you should bear these 
things like a saint, to maintain the character of your re- 
ligion I’ I have seen the day that I would have resented 
this sort of conduct — when they would not have dared 
to take these liberties ; but now they know that I am 
bound over to keep the peace by the Prince of Peace, 
and they are dastardly enough to take advantage of one 
who is governed by the mild spirit of the gospel, as I 
profess to be/^ 

“Well, my dear,” said his wife, “you know that he 
who will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer perse- 
cution. We have only to connect the present with the 
future, and commit our cause into the hands of our 
heavenly Father, who will eventually see to it that full 
justice is done to all parties.” 

“ I do indeed know all that,” said her husband, “ oth- 
erwise I should certainly sink under the evil spirit of 
resentment. I sincerely believe that there is not on 
this earth such another place for unblushing sin and de- 
pravity as a regimental mess-room, and often wish that 
I were well out of it.” 

“So do I, my dear Robert,” said Mrs. Walters, with 
vehemence, “ but I do not at present see how that can 
be accomplished. We are not like any other people I 
know of. We have neither of us any place on this wide 
globe that we can call our home but this our own 
dwelling. At least this is the case with me, for I never 
had a home — no place where I could enjoy the dear 
relationship of father or mother, brother or sister, and 
this has ever made me feel lonely and disconsolate 
indeed.” 


woman’s endurance. 


09 


“ That is emphatically so, my dear,” responded her 
husband. In my own case, too — my eldest brother, 
who inherited the family title and entailed estate, has 
been living so extravagantly that he will soon be so in- 
volved that it will be utterly beyond his power to assist 
me in any way. Neither he nor I has influence with 
the Government, we not agreeing in our political views 
with the party in power ; and so I can look for nothing 
from that quarter. And as you say, then we have no 
place but this our dwelling, and I have no home but 
with my own loving wife. In fact, I have no depen- 
dence but what arises from my profession, and that is 
doubtless the cause of my treatment by the members of 
the mess-room — they, without exception, being very 
wealthy or in expectation of being so ; and to be poor 
and religious, in their estimation, is to be undeserving 
of respect. Although not one of the officers of the regi- 
ment is more attentive to his duties than I am, and have 
always been, I am overlooked ; while those who have 
no claim to it make rapid advancement, simply because 
they have influential friends at headquarters. I have 
no doubt that the vain coxcombs annoy me for some 
supposed excellence they think I possess, and in which 
they feel themselves deficient. Such, however, is poor 
human nature, and I can well afford to pity them, and 
do so with all my heart. But seriously, my dear, I have 
of late had thoughts of selling out my commission and 
of leaving the army altogether. I have pictured to my- 
self a way of life that I think would be far more con- 
genial to my tastes and feelings ; but there is one great 
obstacle that stands in the way, and at present appears 
to me insurmountable.” 


110 


LILLIAN; OE, 


“ Well, my dear, what is this way of life ? You know 
your wife would gladly do her part to assist in any way 
that would be congenial to the tastes and feelings of 
her husband, and no one would be more willing to sec- 
ond your endeavors to overcome an obstacle you deem 
insurmountable.” 

“ My dear,” said her husband, with a pleasant smile, 
“ it is this : I am afraid that you would not be willing 
to become a farmer’s wife.” 

“And,” said Mrs. Walters, “has my husband serious 
thoughts of becoming a farmer ?” 

“ Indeed he has,” said the Captain, “ and has had for 
some time past ; but I have been afraid of mentioning 
it to you lest I should bring you uneasiness. But I 
have thought over this subject, and have concluded that 
it would be more quiet and independent than the disa- 
greeable life I now lead.” 

“ Well, well I to tell you the truth, Robert,” said his 
wife, at the same time clasping her hands together, 
with a hearty laugh, “ I, too, have had the same thoughts, 
but did not like to mention them to you for fear of un- 
settling your mind ; but now that the truth is out, let 
me tell you that I shall prove one of the best-managing 
and most industrious of farmers’ wives you can find, ex- 
cepting, perhaps, the New England dames. Let me 
tell you that I served quite an apprenticeship under 
that very excellent housekeeper, Mrs. Baldwin, and can 
assure you that I was more than a casual observer. 
Indeed, I have often thought that it was a mysterious 
Providence that led me there, to prepare me for a more 
useful and active life ; for you know that the whole of 
my education tended another way, though I often feel 


woman’s endueance. 


Ill 


thankful that my heart was not neglected, while my 
feet and my fingers, my tongue and my brain were in- 
structed.” 

“Well, wife, this conversation is at once new and un- 
expected to each of us ; and as you have so candidly 
spoken your mind on this subject, the sooner we set to 
work the better, to place matters in proper train for the 
undertaking.” 

“ I say amen with all my heart, Robert,” said Mrs. 
Walters, “ and shall be highly pleased on your account, 
for you will then be free from the harassing circum- 
stances which now annoy you.” 

From this mutual understanding, and perfect agree- 
ment in their sentiments, it might naturally be expected 
that there would be unity of action between them. 
And it was so, for whatever one proposed the other was 
sure to approve. This eventful evening, that was to be 
the turning-point in their lives, was closed by committing 
themselves and all their plans to the God and Father 
whom they served. 

The following morning found them more determined, 
if possible, in their purpose, and more firmly fixed in 
their resolution. They were infatuated with their new 
scheme, and set to work with a right good-will. Ex- 
tensive purchases were made of suitable material for 
clothing. A selection was made of domestic utensils 
proper for a large and respectable farm-house, and these 
of sufficient variety and of the best make and material. 
Scarcely a day passed without numberless suggestions 
being made as to what would be necessary — this would 
be so nice — that would be wanted for such and such a 
purpose. If there had been at their elbows an old dame 


112 


LILLIAN; OR, 


from the backwoods— who, with her scanty supply of 
household utensils, had been using one and the same 
thing for half a hundred different purposes — her risible 
muscles would have been brought into play at this man- 
ifestation of extreme simplicity, and at what she would 
have deemed sheer extravagance. But they were in 
earnest, and meant to do as they thought right — often 
saying that it was to no purpose to suffer inconvenience 
when, by the expenditure of a little money, it could be 
avoided. 

They had already made choice of a locality where they 
intended to make their future home. A detachment of 
the regiment had been sent with a number of the “ Uni- 
ted Empire Loyalists” (or, as they were generally called, 
U. E. L’s.) to Upper Canada. This party had returned 
with such glowing descriptions of the beauties of the 
district of country surrounding the Bay of Quinte, as to 
induce Captain Walters to select that neighborhood for 
his intended residence. Consequently, he had procured 
a government grant of one thousand acres of land, that 
being the allowance to an officer of the British army 
who wished to make his home in Canada. The distance 
was upwards of three hundred miles, and at that time 
the roads, if that name could be given to tracks through 
the woods, were of the roughest kind : nor was there any 
regular mode of conveyance. But these were difficul- 
ties that could, in part, be surmounted, for horses would 
be required on their farm, and they might as well pur- 
chase them in Lower Canada, where, as the Captain said, 
were to be found horses of the pure Normandy breed. 
He was loud in his praises of the Canadian horses, ex- 
tolling their many excellent points— their short neck, 


woman’s endurance. 


113 


small head and ears, keen clear bright lively eyes, full 
deep chest, strong clean limbs, and their great endur- 
ance either in harness or under the saddle ; while a very 
important consideration in their favor was, that they 
could be kept in good condition on very little food. 
These horses would take them all the distance, and they 
would thus avoid the knavery and imposition of trickish 
teamsters on the road. And then wagons would be 
wanted ; but where to get them was the question, as 
there was scarcely such a thing to be found in all Lower 
Canada, the French habitants all using unsightly and 
primitive-looking carts. They hoped to procure these 
from some one of the Americans who occasionally 
brought articles to Montreal for sale; and this they did. 

So intent were they on their proposed undertaking, 
that it fully occupied their hands and minds by day, and 
very often was the subject of their dreams at night. In 
a little more than a month all their arrangements were 
completed. Captain Walters had sold his commission 
to an aspiring lieutenant in the regiment, who happened 
to have the ready cash by him. This of course would 
have to be ratified by the authorities at home ; but that 
was a matter easily arranged under the circumstances. 

When the time came for Captain Walters to bid fare- 
well to the members of the regimental mess-room, there 
appeared to be an exhibition of sincere regret on the 
part of a majority of the officers, — some of them declar- 
ing that, after all, Walters was a fine fellow, a good 
soldier, and a brave man. But others, who were not 
inclined to be on friendly terms with him, while appa- 
rently approving the compliment, accompanied their 
approval with a sinister smile ; — “ Yes/ a pretty fair 


114 


LILLtAN; OR, 


sort of hoy, if it were not for his queer notions of reli- 
gion, and his submission to petticoat government.” 
This last remark was nuts for the Eev. Mr. Wilson, 
who was the same cold impassive being as usual, and 
who scarcely deigned to return the hearty shake of the 
hand, and the cheerful farewell of the Captain. He 
merely said, in an almost inaudible tone, “ Good-by, 
Captain Walters,” and then sharply and abruptly turned 
on his heel away. It might have been seen that Cap- 
tain Walters observed, and indeed felt pained at this 
indecorous conduct, so utterly unbecoming the sacred 
character of the reverend gentleman. But, although he 
felt the gross indignity, his own amiable disposition, 
independent of his Christian spirit, led him to look with 
compassion on the frailities of one who ought to know 
and do better. 

What most afflicted the Captain and his wife was, 
parting from the little loving company with whom they 
had so often taken sweet counsel ; but this had to be 
done, however painful it might prove. 

At length, on the Sabbath morning, with many a 
heavy heart, sorrowful eountenance, and tearful eye, 
they met in their little room for the last time. The 
service, conducted by brother Sergeant Johnson, in 
his usual acceptable way, was solemn and impressive, 
appropriate to the occasion. Such was the feeling that 
pervaded the meeting, that the speaker’s voice was fre- 
quently almost lost amidst the loud sobs of the sorrow- 
ing company. After the address of Sargent Johnson, 
the brethren and sisters had an opportunity of breathing 
forth their aspirations in prayer to their God and Father 
in behalf of Brother and Sister Walters. And, oh 1 such 


woman’s endurance. 


115 


prayers I One who had previously visited the English 
church, and listened to the service as conducted by the 
chaplain of the regiment, assisted by the grand music 
on the organ, and then had joined this little secluded 
band of heavenly-minded and ardent worshippers of 
God — if he had any thing like spiritual perceptions, or 
were capable of appreciating the good, the lovely, and 
the holy, would have needed little time to decide in 
which place were the acceptable worshippers. But, 
however that may be, God saw and listened, approved, 
blessed, and favored the meeting with his special pres- 
ence : their hearts were indeed melted into union with 
each other, and with their living Head ; while the room 
appeared to be filled with His glory. 

Not the least touching part of this highly interesting 
interview, and that which affected Captain and Mrs. 
Walters personally, was the eagerness of all present to 
give some token by which they desired to be remem- 
bered. It might have caused a smile in a disinterested 
spectator to have noticed how this was carried out, and 
the little trifles that were brought and presented. They 
had nothing greater or better to give. Yet each was 
received with a lovely grace by Mrs. Walters, and the 
very smallest acknowledged with as much feeling as if 
it had been a diamond of priceless value. But what 
appeared most to touch the heart of Mrs. Walters, was 
a mother, neatly dressed, and holding in her arms a 
lovely child, who, approaching her with great modesty, 
presented a small paper, and, as distinctly as she was 
able, through her sobs and tears, said that there was a 
lock of hair she had just cut from the head of her baby, 
for which she had been so kind as to provide its first 


116 


LILLIAN; OB, 


outfit of clothing. She would have it named after her, 
she said, so that in future, when looking at that lock of 
hair, she would be reminded of her little Eliza. Mrs. 
Walters drew her purse from her pocket, and wishing 
to make it appear as if only depositing the paper in it 
for safekeeping, at the same time took' from it a silver 
crown-piece. Then, taking the baby from its mother, 
she slipped the piece into her hand, and tenderly kissing 
the little beauty, returned it to its mother, with the most 
earnest injunctions to bring it up for God. Thus, after 
many a promise given, and many a wish expressed to 
meet each other in heaven, the parting moment at 
length arrived. 

After the above trying scene was over — when every 
tie that had held them in Montreal seemed to be broken, 
and, like a vessel loosened from its moorings, they were 
about to drift away upon the wide world — they appeared 
to act with greater freedom in making their prepara- 
tions for their long and perilous journey. The spirits 
of Captain Walters were buoyant and hopeful, for he 
felt that he was now freed from the trammels of mili- 
tary espionage. He felt that he was now on the high 
road to independence, peace, and comfort. He was 
going to occupy a farm of a thousand acres, where' 1 e 
would have a chance of shaping his fortunes — where he 
would stand high among his neighbors, and be at liberty 
to select his friends and acquaintance. 


woman's endurance. 


117 


CHAPTER XI. 

The morning of their departure at length arrived, and 
it may not be amiss to take a glance at the external 
appearance of things. We say external, for we will not 
attempt an enumeration of the boxes, trunks, and pack- 
ages, and their contents. 

Ill the first place, we may mention the two heavy, 
strongly-built wagons, with the best of canvas covers to 
secure their contents from the weather, and to serve as 
shelters either by day or night. These wagons, loaded 
to their utmost capacity, were each to be drawn by 
four choice Canadian horses ; and we must say that 
Captain Walters had exhibited good taste and sound 
judgment in their selection. One team was composed 
of four blacks, and the other of four beautiful browns. 
We must not forget to mention that, as the Captain 
often prided himself on having been in his younger days 
a crack English sportsman, he had provided himself 
with four high-bred sporting-dogs — two fine hounds and 
two spaniels : these, with his trusty and favorite Man- 
ton, were deemed essential to the outfit of a gentleman 
farmer, and might assist to while away his leisure 
hours. The Captain had also an eye to his future want 
of laborers on his farm. There happened to be two 
men in his Company who had been born and brought 
up in a rural district in England, and who had from 


US 


LILLIAN; OR 


early childhood been acquainted with the routine and 
toil of farm-labor. The name of one was Joseph Brown, 
that of the other William Jones. The education of these 
men had been neglected in their youth, for they had not 
been a single day at school ; and had never been within 
a church or chapel in their native land, before they 
were marched there according to the regulations of the 
British army. There had been a great sameness in 
their modes of life, but there was a difference in their 
ages at the time they now come under our notice. 
Brown was about thirty-eight — Jones was eight years 
younger ; both were strong and firmly-built men, of 
exuberant spirits, and in fine health. They had been 
for some years humble and consistent members of the 
little Christian society that had been formed in the regi- 
ment. And although at their first union with that small 
Company neither of them was able to distinguish one 
letter of the alphabet from another, yet, by very close 
and patient study, Jones had become able to read the 
Testament, as well as the hymn-book. Brown was not 
quite so proficient a scholar, and had to spell many 
words, and skip others, that were beyond his comprehen- 
sion. Both had charming voices, and had been noted 
from their boyhood for singing the love-ditties of their 
native land. 

It must be admitted that these men were but too true 
a type of a large class from the same grade of society 
in the country that gave them birth ; but where the 
fault of their ignorance lay we are not going now to 
investigate. Our purpose now is not so much with their 
antecedents as with their present personal history. Cap- 
tain Walters had proposed to them to purchase their 


woman's endurance. 


119 


discharge from the British service, if they were williug 
to accompany him as assistants and laborers on his 
farm. The subject was no sooner broached than it was 
acceded to by them, with protestations of ever being 
faithful to his will and wishes. 

These men had wives, and we must not pass them by 
without notice, for each was quite a character in her 
own way. Mrs. Brown, as is often the case, was more 
gifted than her husband. She was keen, pru- 
dent, circumspect, and withal remarkably neat in her 
person, highly industrious, always on goods terms with 
herself and every one else, generally with a good-natured 
smile on her fine open countenance, and of a really gen- 
erous disposition. She had always a good word for 
everybody, save one who intentionally insulted her, or 
did her some serious injury, in which case her keen 
and cutting sarcasm made them cautious in their future 
intercourse with her. She restrained the rude or un- 
mannerly ; but inspired with respect those who could 
appreciate proper womanly independence. She had 
made and saved a considerable sum of money by wash- 
ing and mending for the men of the Company. Pru- 
dent in her general management, she could make a little 
money go a great way. A favorite with the whole regi- 
ment, she was spoken well of by all, and highly es- 
teemed by Captain and Mrs. Walters. Mrs. Brown 
had a remarkably intelligent boy, six or seven years 
of age at the time his parents started with Captain 
W alters. 

Mrs. Jones was a person of but few words, very pious 
in her way, and apparently so in her own estimation. 
She could not see how some people’s consciences allowed 


120 


LILLIAN; OR, 


them to talk so freely, or to be so loose in their conduct 
before others. She was apt to form a too rigid opinion 
of persons and their actions, and thus to the most trivial 
word or act, was often given an undue importance. 
Judging, or rather misjudging others, she became fret- 
ful, peevish, and irritable in temper. Always disquiet- 
ing herself about trifles, she was unfitted to form friend- 
ships ; consequently she was destined to travel through 
life solitary and sad. But notwithstanding all this, she 
was ever honest in purpose, trustworthy in her dealings, 
and in every sense of the word, pure-minded. She was 
fully aware of her imfirmities — of the unevenness of her 
temper — and would often speak of them with sorrow 
and contrition of spirit. Mrs. Jones had a daughter of 
about five years of age, very pretty, and very shrewd 
and intelligent for her years. 

There was another individual connected with the es- 
tablishment of Captain Walters, that we must not over- 
look on any account, as he is destined to occupy a prom- 
inent and highly important part in our narrative. This is 
Jean Baptiste, a French Canadian — a kind of shrivelled up 
little fellow, nimble as a squirrel and merry as a cricket. 
He could not speak English fluently ; but that was not 
of much consequence, as both Captain and Mrs. Walters 
spoke French with facility. Baptiste was a kind of 
necessity, as not one of the eight horses could under- 
stand an English keeper ; but he could address them in 
a way they had been used to. It appeared to be his 
greatest delight to be stroking them, patting them, talk- 
ing and singing to them ; and they appeared fully to 
appreciate all this, as there seemed to be a perfect un- 
derstanding between them and him. And it is not re- 


woman’s endurance. 


121 


markaUle that they were most obedient and docile when 
he had the command of them. 

Thus, we find that on the morning of their departure 
from Montreal, this company was composed of nine per- 
sons — Captain and Mrs. Walters ; Mr. and Mrs. Brown, 
and little boy ; Mr. and Mrs. Jones, and little girl ; with 
our little friend, the facetious Jean Baptiste. All were 
astir at early dawn, with an outfit to meet all present 
or future, real or supposed wants, so far as human pru- 
dence and foresight could devise. As they were not 
going through a sandy, arid desert, where no water was 
to be found, but emphatically a land of large rivers and 
streams, they had no need to carry that essential beve- 
rage with them. 

It was a morning in early spring, if that term is at all 
applicable to Lower Canada, where there are only two 
seasons in the year, winter and summer — seven months 
of the former and five of the latter ; for so sudden is the 
transition from winter to summer, that, when the frost 
breaks up, the extreme heat of the sun soon melts the 
snow, however abundant it may be. The farmer may 
then pursue his labor, plough his land and deposit his 
seed ; for the frost never penetrates the ground as in 
milder regions, haying been protected by its covering 
of snow. 

Thus — on this beautiful morning, with a bright sun 
and. a balmy atmosphere, all nature smiling, as if exult- 
ant at its liberation from the iron bands of winter that 
had held it in their rigid grasp — all things were ready 
for the word of command to start, each being at his post 
with true military precision. The Captain considering 
himself entitled to the posfe of honor, takes the lines of 


122 


LILLIAN; OR, 


the first team, with Brown on the seat, at his left hand. 
The little Frenchman, Jean Baptiste, according to the 
already arranged plan, took the control of the other 
team, with Jones beside him. The women and children 
were comfortably seated in the first wagon, under the 
shelter of the canvas cover. 

The word given, with a sharp crack of the whip, 
and the noble teams, with their heavily laden wagons, 
are on their route. Wending their way along the un- 
paved and muddy N6tre Dame street, they were soon 
beyond the city limits, and outside the ramparts, which 
at that time were near where McGill street now runs. 

Our travellers were no sooner beyond the ramparts, 
than they had an intimation of the character of the roads 
over which they would be compelled to drag their loads. 
They took what has of late years been called the lower 
road to La Chine, and found it low enough and bad 
enough in all conscience ; for the French Canadians, 
from their first occupancy of Lower Canada, have been 
utterly regardless of any thing like public improve- 
ments. Nothing more clearly exhibits the absence of 
thrift, than the wretched state of their public highways. 

The progress made by the subjects of our narrative 
may be judged of from the fact that, early in the morn- 
ing as it was when they left Montreal, it was late at 
night before they accomplished the first nine miles to 
La Chine. Bad as the whole of the road "had been found, 
one or two places were especially trying to their temper, 
and had made pretty strong demands on their patience, 
and put the strength of the horses to a severe test. 

We have already stated that Captain Walters took 
the command ot the leading team. Whether in this case 


woman’s endurance. 


123 


it was really the badness of the road, or a want of skill 
in the driver, we will not say ; but so it happened, that, 
as he was driving through a swampy spot, the wheels 
suddenly sank down to the hubs, and there he was held 
fast. He employed the whip and his voice, but to no 
purpose. He turned his horses to the right, then to the 
left ; but every movement only made matters still worse, 
as it caused the wheels to settle more deeply in the 
mud. In his exertion, it was evident that he was suffer- 
ing extreme agony from his wounds. 

When things had arrived at this state, Baptiste, de- 
scending from his own seat, went forward to make a 
personal inspection ; and when he fully comprehended 
the nature of the case, giving a peculiar shrug of the 
shoulders, he for a few moments apparently pondered 
what was best to be done. Then starting back to his 
own team, and loosing them from the wagon, he brought 
them to the front, hitched them on to the end of the 
wagon-pole with a long stout chain, and then stepped 
back a little, when the eight horses, in prompt obedi- 
ence to a gentle word from him, laid their shoulders to 
the work : the trace-chains began to creak, and the 
heavily laden wagon was moved gently from its position. 
When the wagon was drawn a little distance and placed 
on firmer ground, Baptiste detached his horses, and the 
respective teams took up their line of march, Baptiste 
avoiding the faulty spot that had proved a trap to the 
Captain. 

If the mind of Captain Walters, at that moment, had 
been capable of calm reflection, he might have come to 
the conclusion that some persons are not altogether 
qualified to take the lead and command under all cir- 


124 : 


LILLIAN; OR, 


cumstances ; but it sometimes requires very severe 
practical lessons to teach such people, and it no less 
needs a capacity and disposition in the pupil to read the 
lesson. It was so in the present case, for they had not 
proceeded far when a similar, if not worse, disaster be- 
fell them. They came to a spot of swampy ground, 
where the tangled roots of trees lay athwart the track, 
and between the ribbed elevations of which there were 
deep cavities. When the wheels got wedged in one of 
these places, neither man nor horse was able to move 
them. In such a case it required the skill of the prac- 
tical Canadian teamster to extricate them. Approaching 
a locality where were two roads, one a little divergent 
to the right hand, but uniting again a little distance 
ahead, it happened that the Captain took the one that 
proved to be the worst of the two. As he got to about 
the middle of the worst part of the swamp, down went 
the fore-wheels between two large rib-like roots, where 
they remained, utterly beyond the power of the horses 
to remove them. The wagon going down with great 
force and a sudden jar, it so frightened the women and 
children that they screamed aloud ; while the Captain 
suffered excruciating pain from his wounds, especially 
the one in his shoulder. This time the Captain was un- 
able, and made no effort to extricate the wagon, but 
motioned to Baptiste to come forward. The latter, see- 
ing the serious state of the case, raised his hands in 
bewilderment, with the exclamation, “Mon DieuP^ 
Brown and Jones were as much at a loss as two chil- 
dren could have been ; while the Captain was still more 
so, quite unable to give any useful or rational advice 
or directions. Not so, however, with Baptiste who, after 


woman’s endurance. 


125 


his momentary surprise, went straight to his tool-box, 
which was secured conveniently under the body of the 
wagon, from which he took his axe, and going a little 
way into the bush, selected a young hickory-tree about 
six inches in diameter, which he soon cut down and 
formed into a lever. Collecting a number of large stones 
to form a fulcrum, he set the other two men to work to 
carry them close to the wagon. Then, by a skilful ap- 
pliance of his lever and fulcrum — with the main strength 
of the men, and indeed of the women too — the wagon 
was raised a little at a time, and stones and pieces of 
wood introduced under the wheels, to retain them in their 
position. 

Captain Walters now found, by bitter experience, 
that his strength was not equal to the severe labor de- 
manded of him. Thanks to the superior practical skill 
of little Baptiste, they were finally relieved from their 
disagreeable difficulty ; and, after some hours of lost 
time, and with exhausted strength, they proceeded on 
their way. At nearly the close of this eventful day 
they accomplished the first nine miles of their journey. 

Wearied in body and mind, it was with no small de- 
gree of pleasure they drove up to the front of the small 
log-cabin dignified by the name of tavern. To their 
surprise and disappointment, however, they found that 
the only accommodations this place afforded for their 
horses was an open shed by the roadside : as for them- 
selves, they spread their own blankets and covers on 
the floor of the cabin, and there slept as they best 
could, — the men turning in with the horses in the open 
shed. But, poor and forbidding as these accommoda- 
tions were, a keen appetite gave relish to their supper 


126 


LILT. IAN; OR 


and their weary limbs broug’ht refreshment to body and 
spirit in a profound sleep. 

We have here a pretty fair specimen of the toils, 
mishaps, and inconveniences to which travellers were 
subjected a little more than half a century ago in Lower 
Canada. 

The next morning the sun rose brilliant as ever, and 
our travellers were astir to take advantage of the cool 
hours of earl}’^ day. After attending to the feeding of 
their horses and their own requirements in that line, 
our travellers were soon pursuing their journey along 
the margin of the noble River St. Lawrence. Here 
they were especially impressed with the view of the 
beauty and grandeur of the landscape, — the mountain 
away in the distance on the right hand, and on the left 
the river widening into an expansive lake studded with 
islands covered with a luxuriant and varied foliage. 
And then, all nature in her dress of vivid green, the 
varied forms of hill and dale, land and water, presented 
a scene of picturesque beauty but rarely equalled. 
Turning their attention to the implements and agricul- 
tural appliances of the habitants, they found them of the 
rudest construction and most simple forms. The plough 
was of a most primitive cast, merely the crotch of a 
tree with a sharpened point to serve as coulter, and 
drawn by a poor, scraggy, under-sized horse, yoked with 
a milch-cow, with hip-bones ready to start through its 
skin, — and these just moving at a snail’s pace. 

Our travellers at length arrived at a place some miles 
north of La Chine, where a French Canadian resided 
who made a scanty subsistence by ferrying people and 
their vehicles over the river. The conveyance was by 


woman’s endurance. 


127 


large flat-boats, or batteaux, as they were generally 
called, on to which the horses and loaded wagons were 
driven, and then plied across the broad stream with oars. 
As there were but two of these boats, and one of theiu 
happened to be on the other side of the river at the 
time, which is several miles wide at this place, the 
man in charge had to hoist a signal for the other boat 
to come over, as the two wagons and eight horses would 
have been an overload for one. Though this slow move- 
ment occupied considerable time, it had to be submitted 
to as one of the ordinary annoyances of those days. 

While thus waiting for the boat to come from the 
other side of the river. Captain and Mrs. Walters had 
leisure to take a stroll a little way along the bank of 
the river, and to contemplate the unsurpassed grandeur 
of the scenery presented to their view at this place. 
We mention these two, as they were the only persons 
in the company who had an eye for the beautiful and 
sublime in nature. The two children were especially 
'delighted, and exhibited their pleasure in frolics and 
gambols, and by forming fragrant and beautiful nose- 
gays from the profusion of wild-flowers growing around. 
After waiting for some considerable time, the boat ar- 
rived : the teams were driven on board, and off they 
started ; but slowly they moved over the turbid waters 
of the Ottawa, for it is at this point the confluence of the 
two rivers, the St. Lawrence and the Ottawa, takes 
place. A great curiosity is here presented in the clearly- 
defined line that marks the first contact of the two 
streams, and which is continued for a number of miles. 
It is not, however, our object to point out the curiosities 
or to contemplate the beauties of nature, as we have 


128 


LILLIAN; OR, 




other things in view which claim our more special 
attention. The voyage across the river in the unwieldy 
craft, from its feeble power of propulsion, was one of 
excessive lassitude, from the absence of any thing like 
excitement and the seemingly long time it occupied. 
On their arrival upon the other side, the day was far 
•spent ; but, as the horses were comparatively fresh from 
the long rest they had had, they determined to make the 
most of the remainder of the daylight. Then they had 
a tolerably good road on the bank of the St. Lawrence, 
with the grand cascade rapids on their left hand. 

It would be useless to i»ttempt to describe these 
rapids, with their boiling, tossing, tumbling, foaming 
waters : all mere word-painting would be tame and 
meaningless. It was on the bank of the river, and 
under the shade of a luxuriant grove, that they made up 
their minds to take their rest for the night. Under the 
general guidance and instructions of Baptiste, the other 
two men attended to the horses, while the women were 
directed in all the camping arrangements and the cook- 
ing of their evening meal ; after partaking of which, 
they were hushed to sleep by the lullaby of the dashing 
and foaming waters of the rapids. It was well for them 
that they had so alert and diligent a person in their 
company as Baptiste. By his directions Brown and Jones 
collected a large quantity of dry wood, and placed it in 
piles, at equal distances, in a circle around their camp. 
A little while after sunset these piles of wood were 
lighted up, as a protection against the approach of 
wolves, — of whose presence they were soon made aware 
by their continual howl all through the night, atti acted, 
no doubt, by the smell of the evening meal. And it 


woman’s endurance. 129 

proved a very fortunate circumstance for Captain Wal- 
ters that he had two such trusty men as Brown and 
Jones. They had been so long in the army, and so used 
to obeying orders, that it was only required to indicate 
his wish to have it fulfilled without a murmur. Owing 
to the comparative absence of excitement on the past 
day, and the sound sleep he had enjoyed through the 
night, and the ever-watchful care of Mrs. Walters, 
the Captain appeared greatly invigorated the next morn- 
ing. So, after a hearty breakfast, the horses were har- 
nessed up, and our travellers were again soon dashing 
along at a lively pace, making the best of their time on 
a good hard road. This smart pace was continued until 
noon, when our company came to a favorable spot, under 
the shade of a few stately elm-trees, where they could 
rest and feed their horses, as well as take their own re- 
freshment. While these things were being attended to, 
their attention was directed to the approach of a better 
kind of vehicle, drawn by a very handsome pair of 
dappled-gray horses. As these came near, the driver 
slackened his pace until, as he passed, it was reduced 
to a very slow walk, which gave the female who was 
inside an opportunity to scrutinize the party with in- 
tense steadiness. When the captain and his wife saw 
that the female manifested an inclination to speak to 
them, they arose and saluted her gracefully. They were 
about to invite her to alight and partake of their hos- 
pitality, ^as there was no place of refreshment within 
many miles, when the driver made an abrupt start and 
left them with the words of invitation upon their lips, 
and with impressions upon their minds not at all favor- 
able to the good manners of the fair stranger. Recov- 
6 * 


130 


LILLIAN; OR, 


ered somewhat from the perturbation of mind occasioned 
by this incident, Mrs. Walters said to her husband — 

“ Why, Robert, I surely have seen those horses be- 
fore !” 

‘‘ Why, yes,” said the captain, “ I ought to know 
them, for I have frequently seen them in Montreal.” 
Then, showing a little of wounded dignity, he said : 
“ And there is one other thing I am sure of — that the 
person in the carriage is not a lady, for the least she 
could have done would have been to return our salute.” 

After this little adventure, the frugal meal finished, 
they were soon again wending their way on their west- 
ern track. Our travellers were now getting into a part 
of the country where the appearances of even the rude 
civilization of Lower Canada were less frequentl}?' met 
with. The uninvaded forest was vast, gloomy, silent, 
and, except at night, solitary, when it was vocal with 
hideous and discordant sounds. The day had again 
closed, like the previous one, with little or nothing to 
mar the equanimity of the minds of the entire party. 

Little Baptiste appeared to be in his glory while giv- 
ing to his subordinates, in his broken English, general 
orders for the night ; for he was now the tacitly ac- 
knowledged commander-in-chief of the entire party. 
After setting all things in order, he brought out his 
violin, on which he was no mean performer, and great 
was the delight of the whole company when he awoke 
the echoes of the neighboring woods by his enlivening 
strains. Still sweeter, however, in their estimation, it 
was, and more in accordance with the higher aspirations 
of their grateful hearts, when Captain and Mrs. Walters, 
accompanied by all present, and by Baptiste with his 


woman’s endurance. 


131 


violin, struck up their evening hymn. The simple was 
raised to the sublime in this chanting, in those solitary 
woods, of one of the sweet songs of Zion. So, with calm 
spirits and resigned wills, after setting their watch and 
making other necessary arrangements for the night, 
they retired to rest. They were awakened, however, a 
little after midnight, in the greatest trepidation of mind, 
by heavy thunder, accompanied by vivid flashes of light- 
ning that illumined the entire forest around them with a 
lurid glare, and then for a moment involved them in a 
tenfold deeper darkness than before. ' In the crashing of 
the thunder, it appeared as if hundreds of wolves around 
them set up a hideous howl. The dogs were whining, 
the horses making efforts to break their tethers, the 
children screaming, the women frantic with fear, and 
even the hearts of the men failing them in utter conster- 
nation. From that time until light broke in the morn- 
ing they were deluged with rain, and terrified by loud 
thunder and occasional flashes of lightning. 

What were their feelings of thankfulness, however, 
when they came to see in the morning the very narrow 
escape they had made with their lives ! Within a hun- 
dred yards of the place where they had encamped for 
the night lay the remains of a huge oak, one of the mon- 
archs of the forest, which had been so shivered that the 
fibres of its trunk were separated like the untwisted and 
open strands of a thick rope. It had been struck by the 
electric fluid, a circumstance of not rare occurrence in 
the forests of North America. 

Notwithstanding the severe trials of the night, the 
sun it)se in the morning with a bright and smiling face, 
as though nothing untoward had happened. The at 


132 


LILLIAjr; OR, 


mosphere was relieved of its oppressiveness, and all 
nature seemed refreshed with the copious shower of 
rain that had fallen. The spirits of the company, too, 
partook of the general hilarity. 

At an early hour man and horse were ready to resume 
their journey, but from the wet state of the ground little 
progress could be made, as the wheels sunk deep into 
the saturated soil ; and they had little choice of road, 
as, away on their right hand lay an extended cedar 
swamp, and on their left the margin of the river. Thus 
they had to travel for some miles along a kind of natural 
mound raised between the two. Owing to the very 
copious rain the past night, this cedar swamp, a recep- 
tacle for the water from the adjacent district, was con- 
siderably overflown ; and as there was only one outlet 
for the water, and that ran across a low place in the 
mound on which our company were driving, it presented 
a very serious obstacle to their further progress. True, 
some attempt had been made to form a kind of bridge 
across this gulch, by spanning it with the trunks of two 
trees, and then laying across these a number of round 
logs, so as to fill up the space from bank to bank, and 
then tying the ends with strong withs to hold them in 
their place. But it so happened that these logs were 
afloat at this time, owing to the high state of the water, 
so that there was no firm footing either for man or 
horse, let alone taking two such heavily-loaded wagons 
over. 

Here was a dilemma. There was no choice of roads, 
and no room to turn back, as the mound was too n-arrow 
for the long-geared wagons. Therefore they must either 
find out some method to pass over this gulch, or wait 


woman’s endurance. 


133 


some days for the water in the swamp to subside. 
When the two men and the Captain fully realized the 
state of things, and the apparently inextricable position 
in which they were placed, they looked at each other with 
blank dismay. They looked this way and that, back- 
ward and forward. One suggested to swim the horses 
over ; another, to lay a narrow path over in some way, 
and the party each to carry a package, trunk, or box 
across upon their shoulders ; with many other schemes 
equally impracticable. In this dilemma, fortunately for 
the party, Baptiste was again at hand. Wielded by 
him, who descended down to the edge of the swamp, 
the ready axe, with nimble and effective stroke, soon 
brought down tree after tree. These, being divested of 
their branches and cut into proper lengths, were carried 
by the other men to the bridge, and laid on to the logs 
already there, until their added weight gave it solidity, 
and raised it above the level of the water. Thus at 
length the whole party, by the skill of the one who was 
apparently the most feeble and the least likely to ren- 
der such efficient aid, were led over what seemed, but a 
short time before, an impassable gulf. 

By the time they had well got over and come to a 
place a mile or two further on the road, where they 
found a suitable camping-ground, the shades of evening 
were fast gathering around them. This day had given 
another proof that travelling was no child’s play amidst 
the difficulties that beset the explorers and first settlers 
of North America. The place where they rested this 
night was lonely and dismal in the extreme, far away 
from any human dwelling ; and the only sound that 
broke the stillness of the night was the dull gurgle 


13d: 


LILLIAN; OR, 


of the flowing waters of the St. Lawrence. The approach 
of night was welcome, and after the devotions of the 
evening, and the usual precautions being taken, the ma- 
jority of the company were soon oblivious to the forbid- 
ding surroundings of the locality. The position of sen- 
tinel for this night fell upon Brown, who, as he measured 
with military step his round, happened to look upward, 
when he saw in the branches of a tree a little ahead 
of him two bright points of light. Prompted by the 
feelings of the moment, he hastily retreated to where 
Baptiste lay enfolded in his blanket, on a little brushwood 
under one of the wagons. It only required a gentle 
touch to arouse him to consciousness ; and, more by the 
manner of Brown than by his words, he was soon aware 
that there must be something more than usual on hand. 
His first impulse was to seize his ever-ready rifle, and, 
following the steps of his conductor, his attention was 
directed to what has already been referred to. Baptiste 
knew at once the full danger of his position, and that 
it demanded coolness' of mind, firmness of nerve, and 
steadiness of aim, for he had a sly and cruel foe to con- 
tend with. But, nothing daunted at this, he raised his 
rifle, and as the sharp crack sounded through the woods, 
it was instantly followed by a shrill, piercing cry, and 
a sound caused by the fall of a heavy body. Prompted 
by his curiosity, and a wish, perhaps, to be in at the 
death. Brown ran instantly to the spot, thinking the 
danger was over. Baptiste rapidly followed him, and, 
catching him by the arm, cried out at the top of his 
voice — 

“ You fool I what for you do dat ? Suppose you go 
dare, you be one dead man vare soon.’^ 


woman’s endukance. 


135 


Going then to the four dogs, which had been fully- 
aroused by the sound of the gun, Baptiste let them loose, 
when they started for the fallen and expiring brute ; 
but they were too experienced to trust themselves within 
the reach of his teeth or claws. Very little of their 
assistance was reqi^ired, however ; for the aim of Bap- 
tiste had been so true, that, after a few vain attempts 
to grasp the dogs, lashing his long tail, and tearing up 
the bushes and earth in his rage, the death-struggle was 
soon over. On examining the creature, they found it 
to be a North American male panther of the largest 
dimensions. It was fortunate that Brown happened to 
see him when he did, for had he passed underneath the 
tree where the panther was patiently awaiting his prey, 
he must have become his victim. When they found 
that the brute was quite dead, all hands lent their aid 
to drag him within the limits of the camp ; and, as the 
women and children, as well as all the men, had been 
aroused by the unusual stir, they all had an opportunity 
of examining one of the most dangerous and destruc- 
tive beasts of prey that range the forests of North 
America. They were particularly struck with the size 
and strength of his teeth and the length of his claws. 
In a little time Baptiste was busy with his knife, divest- 
ing the animal of his beautiful skin ; which, as he 
claimed the sole disposal of the prize, with head, tail, 
and feet still attached, he presented to Mrs. Walters, 
with the promise that he would cure and dress it for 
her in true Indian style at the first opportunity ; it would 
then make a very handsome robe for her sleigh, when 
they were settled on their farm. 

By the time the party had somewhat recovered from 


136 


LILLIAN; OR, 


the excitement consequent on the incident just narrated, 
the first glimmerings of# morning admonished them to 
make preparation for the prosecution of their journey; 
and so, after attending to the necessities of both man 
and beast, they were soon threading their way as best 
they could through the intricacies and entanglements of 
the dark and dreary forest. 

At this part of their journey their progress was slow 
and tedious in the extreme, for, what with the obstruc- 
tions that lay in the pathway, in the form of trunks of 
fallen trees, and branches scattered around that had been 
riven from the parent stem by the force of storms, the 
strength and patience of man and horse were often put 
to a severe test. 

The keen eye of Mrs. Walters might frequently have 
been seen casting scrutinizing glances, and scanning 
with deep interest the anxious and care-worn counte- 
nance of her husband. Captain Walters was beginning 
to feel that travelling with his heavily-encumbered 
wagons through a comparatively new and unbroken 
country, was not as easy as the routine of military duty. 
In moments of more than ordinary pressure on his 
strength and patience, might be seen fearful indications, 
of failing strength. But a cheerful expression from his 
affectionate wife, with allusions to the comforts of a 
future home when quietly and snugly settled on their 
farm, acted like a charm on his spirits and his strength, 
and reinvigorated him. Though often Mrs. Walters her- 
self felt as if she were hoping against hope, she had the 
prudence and self-restraint to hide from his observation 
the deep depression of her own heart. 

An accident that befell them at this part of their jour- 


woman’s endurance. 


137 


ney appeared, at the time, to be one of the most disas- 
trous that could have happened under the circumstances. 
Indeed, the majority of them thought it would put a stop 
to their further progress ; and in fact it did throw the 
whole company into a state of perfect consternation. 

Captain Walters, for that day, had taken command of 
the leading team ; and it must be said in his behalf, 
that the experience he had gained had taught him to 
accommodate his movements to the intricacies of the 
road. He had more than once exhibited his skill and 
coolness in driving through difficult defiles and narrow 
passes. But he now came to a place where the road 
led between two large trees, that would barely allow the 
wagons to pass without coming in contact with one or 
the other. He was fully sensible of the task now be- 
fore him ; and he therefore braced himself firmly in his 
seat, grasping the reins securely in either hand. Then, 
with a kind and gentle word to his team, he approached 
the place with a slow and steady caution, measuring the 
narrow space, at the same time, with his eye. On the 
clearance of the fore-wheels, he appeared in a moment 
to breathe with greater freedom ; but at that moment 
up started a covey of birds, and by their flutter and 
flapping just before the leaders of his team, caused them 
to give a side spring and sudden start, that brought 
the near hind-wheel in collision with the trunk; of the 
tree, that, in the twinkling of an eye, snapped off the 
axle, so that the heavily-loaded wagon came with a sud- 
den jerk to the ground. 

Here then, was a dilemma, which, for the moment, 
seemed beyond remedy, as there was not a wheelwright 
or a blacksmith within a hundred miles. What were 


138 


LILLIAN; OR, 


they to do under these trying circumstances ? Tliere 
the wagon lay, firmly wedged in between the two large 
trees ! All stood looking on in sad and silent amaze- 
ment. Even the two children appeared fully conscious 
of their perilous position, for their tears fell free and 
fast. Mrs. Walters, who had thus far borne up so nobly, 
and striven to hide her own impressions — who always 
had a ready word of wit or of wisdom to break the spell 
of her husband’s despondency — had not now a word to 
utter ; her own fortitude seemed to yield and sink, on 
seeing the complete prostration of his physical powers. 
The whole group seemed at their wits’ end : even Baptiste 
had lost all his sprightliness and energy, who stood 
crossing himself and muttering, Mon Dieu! Mon 
Dieu !” To add to their discomfort, the day was near 
its close, and the locality where they were was not one 
they would have selected for their night’s encampment. 
But in this case they had to make a virtue of necessity, 
and bestir themselves to set things in order for the ap- 
proaching night, as there was no moon to light them 
should they be belated in their work. So, all hands 
were soon busy, attending to their allotted departments 
— Brown and Jones looking after and grooming the 
horses ; Baptiste actively employed with his axe in pre- 
paring fuel for the women to cook the supper, as well 
as collecting, from the great quantity of broken-off 
branches that lay scattered around, a supply for their 
night-fires. These were placed in heaps at short dis- 
tances around their camp, in order that they might be 
lighted the last thing before retiring to rest for the night. 

The women had been cooking a savory supper — the 
remains of a fine fat young deer, shot by Captain 


woman’s endurance. 


139 


Walters two days before. With keen appetites the 
whole party had sat down, and partaken with more than 
common relish of the rich and abundant feast, when, just 
at the close of their supper, Baptiste suddenly sprang 
to his feet. His quick, keen ear, had caught an ominous 
sound coming from the leeward ; and who has ever 
heard that very peculiar *)und without fear and trem- 
bling ? The sound was soon answered from the opposite 
direction, followed by another, another, and still another, 
until the surrounding forest became vocal with the din 
of the hideous howl. 

From the first well-known note of warning that fell 
upon the ear of Baptiste, he comprehended their danger. 
He knew that prompt action was necessary for their 
safety, and he bestirred himself accordingly. The wo- 
men were quickly at work kindling the piles of wood 
prepared for that purpose. Baptiste had soon his trusty 
rifle in full trim for action — Brown and Jones the heavy 
English muskets they had procured from the regimental 
armory. Captain Walters had his double-barrelled Man- 
ton, and a fine American rifle besides. Each had his 
piece ready charged with ball, and plenty of ammunition 
near at hand. The horses were well secured ; the dogs 
made fast ; and the women and children safely placed 
under the canvas cover of the wagon. Perched on the 
tops of the wagons, to give the greatest range to their 
vision, the men awaited the advance of the coming foe. 

It appeared that the rich odor from the cooking sup. 
per, carried by the wind, had been sniffed by a hungry 
wolf, and lured him from his lair. By a peculiar call, 
well known to the backwoodsman, he had summoned 
his gaunt and greedy fellows to assist him in the on- 


140 


LILLIAN; OR, 


slaiight ; for, however much he may wish to partake of 
• the feast alone, if opposition is to be encountered, his 
own native cowardice shrinks from the attack. It is 
only in the company of numbers that the wolf is bold. 
And it must be said, that, if numbers were calculated 
to inspire with courage, they were not wanting on this 
occasion, for they came trootping from every direction ; 
and the howl that had at first been just faintly heard, 
from its distance, now gathered force and volume from 
its nearer approach. 

Such were the overwhelming and absorbing interests 
of the moment, that the disaster of the broken axle was 
not once thought , of. The minds of the men were 
wrought up to the highest pitch of determined but cool 
courage. They had so arranged their procedure, that 
each was to face and fire in opposite directions, so as to 
spread the greater confusion among the savage brutes. 
The surrounding woods were well lit up by the bright 
and clear blaze of the cordon of fire, which kept the 
savages at bay, and at the same time enabled the men 
to take steady and deliberate aim. And every shot told. 
What with the sounds of the rattling musketry, and the 
howls, growls, and snarlings of the savage herd, as 
these reverberated through the neighboring woods, it 
was such a scene as neither eloquent tongue nor ready 
pen would find it easy to portray. Suffice it to say, that 
the unremitting fire kept up by the four men, directed 
with skill and sustained by such energy, was, to the 
relief of the whole party, crowned with success ; for the 
entire pack, thinned in numbers, slunk away, and long 
before the dawn of day, the neighboring forest was as 
silent as though nothing more than usual had occurred 


woman’s endurance. 


141 


through the night to awaken its echoes. Indeed, so 
quiet had the place been for the last few hours of the 
night, that the women and children werb enjoying a 
sound and refreshing sleep. 

No sooner did the day dawn than Baptiste gave evi- 
dence that he had not been idle through the night, and 
that the fracas with the wolves had not fully diverted 
his thoughts from their misfortune of the previous day, 
for in the early light he commenced his measures, acting, 
and directing others in his broken English, as one who 
knew what he was about. Right manfully and intelli- 
gently he set to work ; yet, with all his skill, it required 
much manual strength and labor to extricate the impris- 
oned wagon, but that was finally accomplished. 

The first object was to release the fractured axle that 
lay beneath the wagon. That done, he placed the 
broken ends in line, so as to obtain the original length. 
Then, with axe in hand and with peering eye, he selected 
a proper stick to replace the broken axle. He was not 
long in bringing a rock-maple sapling to a spot con- 
venient for him to operate upon it ; and now began to 
appear the resources of his mind and his handicraft skill. 
In the first place, he rough-hewed the stick into some 
general shape as to length and form ; and his minute 
mechanical knowledge was plainly exhibited in giving 
it (to use the technical term of the craft) the proper 
‘‘ creep.” It was now seen that he could use the axe 
with as much facility as the Yankee uses his jack-knife 
But it would be useless and tedious to follow Baptiste 
through all his manipulations in fitting his axle and 
remounting the wagon. Suffice it to say that all was 
completed in a workmanlike styl(‘, and in as short a 


142 


LILLIAN; OR, 


time as many a professional mechanic could have done 
it, with all the appliances of a well-arranged establish- 
ment. And what was the delight of the whole party to 
find once more wagon and horses placed in line of 
march, and all ready for a start ! 

Before the party proceed on their westward journey, 
we will take a look at the scenes disclosed on the battle- 
field of the previous night. Captain Walters had, early 
in the morning, taken a stroll around the field of slaugh- 
ter, when he fully comprehended the calamity -they had 
escaped. The number of slain was far greater than he 
could have supposed, and among the wounded were 
quite a number so crippled as to be unable to crawl to 
any distance. Some of these were, with their wonted 
cunning, simulating death. He dispatched several by 
beating out their brains with a club. It was a remark- 
able feature in the scene, that quite a number were 
actually torn to pieces and partly devoured, — proving 
that they, like many another gang of villains, are not 
only ever ready to prey upon others, but also, at the 
first chance that offers, to devour each other. 

When all things were ready for a start, and the Cap- 
tain about to take his place upon the second wagon, his 
eye fell upon the tiny form of Baptiste as he sat on the 
seat of the front wagon, with the lines all ready gath- 
ered up in his hands, waiting for the word of command. 
As he looked upon him, he reflected — My worthy Bap- 
tiste, what should we have done without thee, thou little 
bit of shrivelled-up skin and bone ? 

With free and grateful hearts they sped on their way ; 
and as the day was fast drawing to a close, it was again 
necessary to think of looking out for a proper camping- 


woman’s endubance. 


143 


ground for the night. But as the road at this part was 
tolerably good, they concluded to continue their travel 
for a few miles further. After proceeding some time, 
what was their surprise to find themselves suddenly 
brought up by the margin of a broad, deep, and rapid 
stream I Just a little to the right hand, up the stream, 
lay a large boat or batteau, with two men, who ap- 
peared to have the management of it ; and a little way 
from where the boat was moored were two good-sized, 
decent-looking, whitewashed log-cabins. On a close 
view they found good outhouses, and there was a 
general appearance of thrift. They learned with much 
pleasure that they, with their horses, could be accom- 
modated for the night. But what was their surprise at 
finding, in one of the stables or outhouses, the self-same 
team of dappled grays that had so abruptly passed them 
on the road, when only a few days from Montreal I 

The general appearance of the place and its surround- 
ings was one of remarkable rural beauty, and, secluded 
as it was from the outside world, the occupants of the 
spot seemed to be completely cut off from all intercourse 
with civilization. They gave little evidence of knowing 
what was passing beyond their own precincts, and 
seemed, from their lack of curiosity, to care still less. 
They were not living in an age or within the circle of 
newspapers or periodical light literature, so that they 
had nothing to create or foster mental appetite. Retired 
and undisturbed as was the life these simple and uncul- 
tivated people led in this far-off wilderness, it could not 
but prove an incident of more than common interest to 
be thus invaded. 

But their semi-rustic manners were associated with a 


144 : 


LILLIAN; OR 


certain easy courtesy, and it might be seen that there 
was a strong desire on their part to please. This, how- 
ever, will create no surprise when it is understood that 
they were French Canadians ; as it is a well-known 
fact that the French never lose their characteristic 
national politeness. These persons had retired to this 
distant locality for the purpose of hunting, or of barter- 
ing with the Indians for the valuable furs which at that 
time abounded in these parts ; and besides hunting, 
trading with the Indians, fishing, and cultivating their 
land, which appeared to be of the richest kind, they had 
sometimes a chance of making a little money by ferry- 
ing parties in their boat over the river. 

As soon as Captain and Mrs. Walters were made 
aware of the presence of the female who had so uncere- 
moniously passed them on the road, their curiosity be- 
came excited to learn all they could about her. It 
appeared that Mrs. Brown had been deeply exercised in 
a somewhat similar way ; for, as soon as the oppor- 
tunity offered, she yielded to her very inquisitive spirit, 
and was soon in deep and earnest conversation with the 
man in company with the stranger. Mrs. Brown — 
whose tongue was, mechanically speaking, of double- 
action speed — was quite eloquent in imparting all she 
knew that could be said in praise of Captain or Mrs. 
Walters ; but at the same time she was very cautious in 
not committing herself too far in answering all his ques- 
tions, and what she did answer were only as baits 
thrown out to lure him into the meshes of her toils. 
But she might as well have attempted to penetrate the 
secrets of the upper or nether world as to draw from 
him any information as to who the fair stranger was. 


woman’s endurance. 


145 


for as to that his mouth seemed hermetically sealed. 
And what was the disappointment of Mrs. Walters, who 
had trusted that the case was perfectly safe in the 
hands of Mrs. Brown, but who now learned that not 
only had her own personal application for an interview 
been refused, but that Mrs. Brown’s wily-woman’s-wind- 
ings had been entirely at fault ! 

When the Captain found they had such good quarters, 
he concluded to remain for a few days, that the whole 
party might recruit their strength, and refit any little 
thing that might have been deranged. He and Mrs. 
Walters became really anxious to know something of 
the female who so sedulously shrouded herself from their 
observation. They concluded that on the following day 
they would try some little stratagem to draw her forth, 
and by some proffered kindness ingratiate themselves in 
her favor ; they might thus acquire an agreeable com- 
panion for the remainder of their journey, if they were 
going the same way. But, what was their astonishment 
to find, on the following morning, that the lady and her 
man had gone over the river more than an hour before 
sunrise, and had left no clue as to who they were, or 
their destination 1 

Before we follow the narrative of our own company, 
we will give a short conversation that passed between 
this lady and her man-servant — as follows. 

Well, Thomas,” she said, “ we are again free from 
the intrusion of companj^ of prying eyes and listening 
ears, and I may now speak at our leisure and in freedom, 
which I did not have the opportunity of doing during 
our stay at the last place. How do you think things 
were conducted ? Have they any knowledge or recol- 

1 


146 L I L L I A N ; O R , 

lection of us — as to who we are, or that they have seen 
us before ?” 

“ No, my lady,” said the man, with great respect ; 
“ they were not able to judge with regard to you, for 
they could not get even a glimpse of your person. One 
of the females tried hard to draw something from me 
by asking all sorts of questions, but it was to no pur- 
pose, for I remained mum to all. I suppose she thought 
she was giving me a great deal of information by telling 
me so much about the Captain and his lady : she little 
thought that I knew a great deal more about them than 
she did. They all appeared to have some knowledge 
about the horses, but I think they were not able to re- 
cognize me in this disguise, however ; they made no 
allusion from which I could infer that they did.” 

“ That is all very well, Thomas,” said the lady ; “ I 
am very glad that I exchanged my horses before I left 
Montreal, otherwise the disguise might not have been 
so completely maintained. Now, Thomas,” said the 
lady, “ you must drive so as not to be too far ahead, so 
that I may have a sight of them now and then. I sup- 
pose you consider my conduct very strange, Thomas, 
and that I am on something like a wild-goose chase ?” 

“ My lady,” said the man, “ I will not question either 
your wisdom or your prudence, but one thing I am sure 
of, that you must have most extraordinary patience.” 

“ Thomas,” said the lady, “ the ways of Providence 
are sometimes slow in their movements, and it requires 
prudence, and sometimes great patience, to wait for 
their full development ; but I firmly believe that my ex- 
pectations will meet with their consummation in His 
own good time.” 


woman’s endurance. 


147 


Captain Walters and his party having stayed a few 
days, according to their purpose, found themselves, as 
well as their horses, very much the better for the rest 
they had enjoyed. And having made all the prepara- 
tions for the prosecution of their journey, they were 
taken over the river at early dawn. They entered the 
dense woods, where the axe of the white man had 
scarcely ever disturbed the echoes, except here and 
there, just to clear away the obstructions that lay in the 
path of the solitary traveller. Their progress was slow, 
indeed, and often most harassing to both man and horse, 
— sometimes perplexed by the intricacies and sinuosities 
of the forest path, and again by soft swampy places 
where the wheels would siuk to the very hubs, or jolted 
out of their skin by passing over the corduroy roads. 
Very often they had to go through the tiresome process 
of taking the wagons over swampy places singly, with 
the eight horses. Thus, they would unite the teams, 
and even then it would be very difficult for the eight 
horses to drag the wagon through such places on to firm 
ground ; let alone the loss of time in going over the 
same space three times. Thus days and weeks had 
passed away, and, in consequence of detentions from ob- 
structions, and delays from various causes, they had not 
yet averaged eight miles a day. Those were not the 
days of steam and the telegraph. But, though long, 
slow, and tedious had been their journey, and many and 
weary their steps, they were at length gratified by their 
arrival on the banks of the beautiful Bay of Quinte, in 
the neighborhood of where Belleville now stands. From 
this place they journeyed on until they came to the head 
of the bay opposite Trenton, at the place where the river 


148 


LILLIAN; OR, 


Trent forms a junction with the Bay of Qninte. It was 
at this place where the government land agent for that 
district of country then resided, to whom the Captain 
stated his case and exhibited his documents, when be 
was directed by the agent to proceed to the shores of 
Lake Ontario, a little beyond where Brighton is now 
situated, — to which place a day’s hard driving over the 
sand eventually brought them. 

As the Captain was a settler of more than ordinary 
means and appearance, the agent not only pointed out 
a very valuable lot on his map that hung up in his of- 
fice, but actually volunteered to go with him to the spot 
where it lay, which was an unusual procedure for him. 
After all his labor and anxiety, the Captain had now a 
chance of seeing his farm, and, as the agent was with 
him for the purpose of pointing it out, he lost no time in 
setting out in search of it. 

This, however, was an undertaking of no small labor, 
and even risk, for they had to scramble through trees 
and rank undergrowth of brush and bramble. They at 
length discovered the “lot,” undistinguished from the 
contiguous land — there was no fence to mark its outline 
— save by small pickets driven into the ground at cer- 
tain distances, with the number of the lot, range, and 
concession painted on them, and these could never have 
been discovered by the uninitiated eye. 

Here, then, was the Captain and his party at their 
journey’s end ; and it was very natural for them to feel 
desirous and even anxious to meet with a suitable place 
of shelter and of rest. But it was now nearly the close 
of day, and they found that they must camp for the 
night in the open air, as had of late been their practice. 


woman’s endukance. 


149 


The arrangements for this were soon made, for in their 
case it might be said that practice had made them per- 
fect. So easy is it, after a little rough-and-tumble with 
untoward events, to accommodate one’s self to circum- 
stances I 

The party, after having gone through their usual rou- 
tine, and closed the labors of the day with their devo- 
tional evening exercises, gladly retired to their places 
of rest. But there was no rest for the Captain, who had 
appeared more than usually sad and thoughtful after 
having seen his farm, viewed its surroundings, and re- 
flected on his present position and future prospects. In 
fact, his appearance for a number of days had excited a 
deep interest in the mind of his ever attentive and affec- 
tionate wife. 

They had both entered upon this enterprise with 
enthusiasm — they had been captivated by the rural 
beauties, the abundant crops, and the domestic comfort 
and thrift they had seen on the farm and in the home 
of Captain Baldwin and his very excellent New England 
wife. It is equally true, however, that in what had so 
charmed them, they had seen only the results of long 
years of hard labor and of large expenditure. But so 
deeply had their superficial view been impressed upon 
their minds, that they yielded themselves to its influence, 
although they were so utterly unfitted, by nature, con- 
stitution, and education, for these to them untried scenes 
of life. Hence, in the inception of the enterprise and 
succeeding preparations, they had given little time to 
reflection. It was evident they were wanting in worldly 
wisdom and prudence. How many a moment was al- 
lowed them, in their long journey, to consider whether 


150 


LILLIAN; OR, 


they had done wisely in leaving the comparatively slight 
annoyances of a soldier’s life, with which they had be- 
come somewhat familiar, and running headlong into a 
course that had thua far been crowded with disasters, 
and the end of which they did not even now see I 

It had appeared to our travellers in their last day’s 
journey, that they were in a perfect wilderness, as they 
had not been made aware of the presence of human 
beings. But on the following morning, at an early 
hour, they were undeceived on this point by a crowd of 
men and boys, while more were seen emerging from the 
woods in different directions. The news had been 
carried through the concession, from cabin to cabin, that 
a fresh batch of settlers had come in — with a glowing 
description of the number and splendid appearance of 
their horses. 

The very mention of fine horses acted like magic in 
arousing the curiosity of the rustic youth through a wide 
circuit. These, from an inherent and universal love of 
the horse, were moved to come and see for themselves. 
So that by noon there was collected quite a numerous 
company of most uncouth-looking specimens of humanity, 
clad in the homeliest garbs, and with countenances little 
indicative of intelligence. Then there was a rudeness 
and ignorant familiarity, that shocked the sensibility of 
Captain Walters and his wife. What most surprised 
them was, that they could not obtain a direct answer to 
any question put to them. They appeared as if devoid 
of comprehension. The Captain asked a tall, lank-sided, 
raw-boned lad, if he supposed it at all possible for him 
to rent a suitable dwelling-house contiguous to his es- 
tate. The lad looked at the Captain with a kind of dull, 


woman’s endurance. 151 

vacant stare, and a broad grin, and then turning to 
another lad just the counterpart to himself, said : “What 
does he say, Dick 

To which Dick responded, in a coarse, husky drawl : 
“ I dunno — that ^ere chap’s green.” 

The Captain, and in fact the whole of his party, found 
that they were out of their element in such company. 
Quite disconcerted by this interview with those who 
were to be their futtfre neighbors, they moodily sat down, 
or silently sauntered about, apparently without any aim 
or definite purpose in view. 

This state of painful inactivity and suspense was in- 
terrupted by the approach of a portly-looking man, 
dressed in the garb of a Quaker, with broad-brimmed 
hat. He stepped up to the Captain with a composed 
countenance and a bland expression, at the same time 
putting out his hand, which was most heartily responded 
to by the Captain. 

The stranger said : “ Friend, I give thee greeting, 
and a cordial welcome to our settlement. I have been 
given to understand that it is thy purpose to settle 
among us. Thy name, friend ?” 

“My name is Walters,” was the prompt reply. 

“Well, friend Walters, my name is Obadiah Crooks, 
and my advice is ever at thy service. Now let me learn 
from thy own mouth as to what are thy real wishes and 
intentions.” 

The conversation of Obadiah proved to be a great 
relief to the Captain ; and the generous, open candor, 
and kind spirit that he manifested, really touched his 
heart, and with great freedom he responded : That he 
had been a captain in the British army, but that he had 


152 


LILLIAN; OR, 


left it — had sold out his commission — prompted by moral 
and religious scruples, and a wish to lead for the future 
an independent and peaceful life. With this end in 
view, he had obtained from the government a grant of 
one thousand acres of land. He had been given to un- 
derstand by the land-agent, that the place where they 
then were was to be his future home ; and he felt 
pleased to think that he had so opportunely met with a 
person who seemed willing, and in every way so able, 
to render him a little assistance, as this mode of life 
was quite new to him. 

“ Well, friend Walters,” said Crooks, “ I feel glad that 
thou hast given up the carnal weapons for the peaceful, 
and in every way more useful, employment of the axe 
and the plough. I must say that it is but little assist- 
ance that I can render thee : I said that my advice is ever 
at thy service. I will tell thee, friend Walters, that this 
is quite a new settlement, and as yet the improvements 
are very small. The people are very poor, and our ac- 
commodations very scanty, — so much so, that there is 
not a single cabin in all this concession big enough 
to hold thy family. And I have been thinking that 
there is only one of two ways for thee to act : one is, 
for some of our people to take one of thy party to re- 
main with them for a few days, and so distribute them 
among us, until thou canst raise a log-cabin of 'thy own. 
If thou adopt this plan, I shall be willing to take that 
little boy. The other way is, for thee and thy people 
to camp here, and to call a hee to put up a cabin for 
thee. And then, I do not know what thou wilt do with 
all thy horses, for the critters must have something to 
eat. And thou wilt have nothing for them to do for. 


woman’s endurance. 


153 


at the least, say twelve months ; so that thou must be 
at the expense of feeding them without having any 
profit from their labor.” 

If the Captain had observed the countenance of his 
friend Crooks at the time he was thus speaking in such 
deprecating terms of his horses — the keen twinkle of his 
eyes, as they were scanning with deep meaning those 
animals as they stood fastened at a little distance from 
him — and if he could at that moment have penetrated 
his mind, and discovered the under-current of thought 
that was flowing there — he would certainly have been 
more guarded in his expressions of confidence, and more 
cautious in his future dealings with him. But we do not 
wish to speak to the dispraise of Obadiah personally, 
for he had only ’imbibed the spirit of the community in 
which he dwelt, and which had been fostered by favor- 
ing circumstances. And he had been such an apt pupil, 
that he had profited more than his neighbors, owing to 
his keener perceptions and his greater adroitness. An 
individual who has been used to city life, has always 
found that whatever article he may have wanted to pur- 
chase, has been offered at a definite price. On the con- 
trary, should he go into some back or new settlement, 
he would there find a mode of dealing altogether arbi- 
trary, and generally by barter. The question is not as 
to the real value of an article, but how one may obtain 
a thing of greater value in exchange for one of less : 
all the arts of duplicity and chicanery are put in requi- 
sition to accomplish that end ; and he is the smartest 
man who is best able to do this. 

But to return — all the talk of Obadiah might as well 
have been delivered in an unknown tongue to Captain 


154 : 


LILLIAN; OR, 


Walters. He could not comprehend how it was that 
there were no dwellings in the settlement large enough 
for his family, and that he must camp in that self-same 
place until a bee could be called to put up a house for 
him. The greatest of all puzzles to him was how to 
provide for his fine horses, of which he had hitherto been 
so proud, but which were now a perplexing encum- 
brance. But the Captain soon found that he had a great 
many things to unlearn ; and many more to learn, that 
were necessary in settling down on a bush farm. 

Our friend Obadiah continued : “ If thou concludes 
to call a bee, which I consider by far the best plan for 
thee to adopt, as it will be attended with the least 
trouble and labor on all sides, thou canst brash thy 
horses for a few days, and by that time thou wilt be 
better able to decide as to thy future steps.” 

“ Brash my horses, sir !” exclaimed the Captain. 
“ What am I to understand by that ?” 

“ Well,” said the Quaker, “ that is to cut the tender 
branches from such of those young trees as thy horses 
may relish the best, and so feed them. This is what is 
called brashing them, and which is often resorted to by 
settlers on their first coming into the bush with their 
cattle, and at other times when proper fodder is scarce.” 

“ Well,” said the Captain, “ but how must I manage 
about the bee that you speak of ?” 

“ Why,” said his friend, “ that may be soon man- 
aged ;” and called out to a man who seemed a leading 
spirit among the motley company who were rollicking 
in their childish and senseless fun not far off, “ Samuel 
Barker, a word with thee,” at the same time making a 
jerking motion with his head and hand. 


woman’s endurance. 


155 


Samuel was soon at their side, with his deep-brown, 
sunburnt face, and bare neck and breast ; with a 
slouched hat that had a good part of the brim torn 
away, and large air-holes in other parts ; a flimsy 
check-shirt, and tattered, patched pants ; and a pair of 
rusty-colored boots, that would have been all the better 
with a few patches under and over, as more than one of 
his remarkable toes were clearly visible, obtruding them- 
selves through each of them. Sam was introduced by 
Obadiah as Samuel Barker, one of the leading men in 
the concession, able to give advice, and no doubt willing 
to lend a hand in the required movement. Sam was soon 
informed as to the object they had in view, which was 
to call a hee to put up a log-cabin for the new-comers. 
Sam entered into the thing with all the childish glee 
that might have marked the conduct of a boy who was 
about to put on his first new suit. It was with reluc- 
tance that he waited to hear the formal advice of Oba- 
diah, or even to satisfy the reasonable inquiries of the 
Captain. But when released, Sam was back in a trice 
to his anxious companions, who were waiting his return, 
as they had been querying among themselves the pur- 
pose for which he had been called. With great self- 
importance Sam communicated to them the object of his 
high mission, and was about to give his opinion, when 
he was abruptly cut short by Tom Williams, who bawled 
out at the top of his voice — 

“ How much whiskey is we to get ? ^Case if there 
ain’t no whiskey, I ain’t going to come, no how.” 

This proved to be the key-note, and each man and 
boy chimed in to the same tune ; there was no note of 
discord — no whiskey, no cabin. And Sam was fully 


156 


LILLIAN; OR, 


commissioned to negotiate with the opposite party, which 
proved to be a more difficult task than he had antici- 
pated, as there was strong moral principle on the one 
side, and on the other the decision, “No whiskey, no 
cabin.” 

At this stage of the proceedings it was clearly per- 
ceived that there must be a compromise in some way, or 
the high contracting parties must fail in their negotia- 
tions. 

Sam seemed calculating and pondering some further 
suggestion, when he proposed that, if the Captain would 
hand over to him so much money, the men would bring 
their own grub, and then it would not matter to him 
what they did with the cash. The Captain found it 
necessary to yield his point, though he handed over 
the amount to Sam with great reluctance, accompanied 
with sage advice and good counsel. But the Captain 
might as well have spoken to the passing breeze, for 
any good effect it produced on Sam. Sam triumphantly 
carried back his prize to his companions, who celebrated 
the victory he had won, by an uproarious shout of ap- 
plause. 

The men now held a consultation among themselves, 
to determine what each man should bring in the way of 
eatables the following morning. One was to bring a 
boiled ham ; another, a piece of beef and a roasted 
sucking-pig ; another, a roasted turkey : and then there 
was to be a plentiful supply of boiled and roasted 
chickens. Pies, puddings, and cakes w^re promised, 
for all these were plentiful in the bush. 

After this understanding, the motley group of men 
and boys soon separated, each wending his way to hia 


woman’s endueance. 


157 


own cabin, to give directions to his domestic circle to 
make preparations for the feast of good things on the 
following day. 

Many were the hands and heads busily engaged in 
almost every cabin through the entire settlement. For 
great were the pleasures anticipated on such a gala-daj^ 
in the bush, where was to be assembled so large a com- 
pany. 

It might have proved highly amusing, could we have 
taken a peep into some of those cabins on that memora- 
ble night — witnessed the perspiring dames, and their 
beautiful and agile daughters, racking their brains in 
the effort to excel in the variety, quality, and quantity 
of their pastry. The aim was to make their things 
“good.” One object they had in view was to astonish 
the new-comers at the fatness of the land. A very high 
opinion had already been formed of the character of the 
strangers, from the reports of the general appearance 
of their outfit ; and each of the ladies, young and old, 
wanted to make a favorable impression, to gain their 
special notice. 

Now that our party were left alone to pursue their 
own routine, they felt more at their ease ; and many 
were the remarks made respecting the appearance of 
their new home, and the character and conduct of those 
who were to be their future neighbors, if not their asso- 
ciates and companions. It might have been clearly 
seen by the look and manner, if not by the words of 
Captain Walters, that he did not feel altogether in his 
right place, or among those suited to the cast of his own 
mind. For there had not, as yet, been a single indi- 
vidual among those who had been presented to him, with 


158 


LILLIAN; OR, 


whom he could enjoy the pleasing interchange of profit- 
able thought. It was true, he had held a conversation 
with Obadiah Crooks, but there was something so cold 
and formal, yea, even repulsive in his manner — entirely 
opposed to his own warm, impulsive, and confiding na- 
ture — that he could look for nothing like friendship 
there. 

All this, however, had the direct tendency to cut off 
all earthly resource, and to lead Captain Walters’ mind 
to higher and nobler thoughts, so that when the moment 
• for the evening devotions of himself and wife arrived, 
his spirit was in that frame of resignation to the Divine 
will, that he felt as though he could lay all his earthly 
interests on the altar of self-sacrifice. And, indeed, this 
feeling was mutual — a sympathy and melting tender- 
ness, yea, an overwhelming sense of the Divine presence. 
So that, although they were in the darkness and solita- 
riness of the primeval woods, and far away from any 
slately edifice where fashionable congregations meet, 
yet in their loneliness they could say, “ Lo, God is here.” 
And this was enough to calm every fear, and hush to 
silence every doubt, so that heart and tongue were in 
full accord, to praise and adore. Never had the echoes 
of those woods been awakened to such strains of rap- 
turous melody before ; it was indeed the first dedica- 
tion and consecration of that spot to God. Thus, calm 
and serene, they retired ; and sweet were their slumbers 
on this the first night spent in their western home, for 
they felt the assurance that underneath and around were 
the everlasting arms. 


woman’s endubance. 


159 


CHAPTER XII. 

On the following morning, according to arrangement, 
the company was at the place of rendezvous at a very 
early hour. As usual on such occasions, four of the 
most skilful men are first selected to take the entire 
management of the four corners of the building. These 
see that the timbers are properly half-notched, so that 
their fitting may be all right when the alternate round 
logs are laid : the notching at the ends forms the cor 
ners, and holds them firm in their place. The men are 
then divided into squads, and these squads are told off, 
and each assigned to the work he is best qualified to 
perform. An eligible site being selected, the space is 
cleared of trees, or other encumbrances, and all things 
are now ready to begin the erection of the log-cabin. 
Young elm-trees are chosen, if possible ; and if there are 
enough of these at hand, they are soon brought down 
by the sturdy axe-men, and dragged by oxen to the spot 
where they are wanted, either to the sides or the eflds 
of the building. 

Where skill and numbers are employed, rapid prog- 
ress may be expected. This is especially the case where 
a hee is called to raise a log-cabin ; for by noon the 
four walls are nearly up, and ready for the roof. And, 
what with the satisfaction they feel in the contempla- 
tion of the work done, together with the free circulation 


160 LILLI A. n; ok, 

of whiskey, they begin to have a lively time of it by 
midday. 

During the morning there has been flocking to this 
centre of attraction the wives and families of the men 
who have been, at work, bearing along with them the 
provisions prepared the night previous, and which they 
intended should be ready by noon for the assembled 
company, who, when the hour arrives, gather to the 
feast with keen appetites, glib tongues, and vociferous 
voices. The scene now presented to our party exhib- 
ited to their contemplation an entirely new phase of so- 
cial life. With becoming dignity they stood aloof from 
the frivolous and childish hilarity of the rustics, though 
at times it was with very great difficulty that the 
Captain repressed a manifestation of his wounded 
feelings. 

On one occasion Tom Wilson, who seemed to be the 
bell-wether of the party, had heard Mrs. Walters call her 
husband “ Robert.’’ This was enough for Tom, who, ir 
a few minutes after, came to the Captain with a glass of 
whiskey, and in a coarse husky voice, and with exces- 
sive rudeness, said — 

“ Come, Robert, tak a glass wi’ me.” But almost in 
the same breath said — “ Robert is too big a word for my 
toong. I shall ca’ yo’ Bob, ’case you’re goin’ to be one 
o’ us.” 

This was a home-thrust at the Captain’s self-respect, 
but with gentle firmness he said — 

“ My good friend, I do not drink that kind of liquor — . 
it would make me very ill indeed.” 

But the Captain was not to escape with the boorish 
rudeness of Wilson. A kind of half-grown lad, with 


woman's endurance. 


161 


seared and deeply pock-marked face, and enormous out- 
standing teeth, stood gaping with eyes wide open, and 
mouth distended with a hideous grin, observing the 
doings and sayings of Wilson. This fellow, shortly 
after — when the Captain, wishing to throw otf a little of 
his conventional stiffness of manner, was in a friendly 
and familiar way speaking to one of the men about the 
dexterous way in which he handled his axe — invited him 
to try his hand at the same exercise, especially as he 
was going to be a farmer himself. The Captain, taking 
the axe, planted several strokes, putting in with all his 
might, but made little impression on the log, scarcely 
penetrating the bark, when all eyes were at once directed 
towards the novice axe-man. Seeing the small results of 
such great exertion, and the awkward manner in which 
he wielded his instrument, there was a general laugh at 
his expense. But what gave a cast of the ludicrous to 
the scene was that the lad above alluded to, as the Cap- 
tain was about to give another stroke with the axe, 
bawled out — 

“ Hold on, Bobby ; there is a fly there, and if yo^ hits 
it you’ll sure hurt it 1” 

In a moment the axe fell from the hands of the Cap- 
tain, — this piece of coarse wit and gross rudeness being 
too much for his nerves, especially as it brought forth a 
burst of uproarious merriment at his expense from the 
lookers-on. He appeared confounded for the moment, 
but soon regained his self-possession. But this incident 
seemed to make a deep impression on the heart of Mrs. 
Walters, who would much rather it had been directed 
against herself than her husband. 

But others present were not inattentive spectators, 


162 


LILLIAN; OK, 


and not a little disturbed at this indecorous proceeding. 
Brown and Jones could ill brook the indignities^ as 
they considered them, directed against their captain, and 
were not backward in giving expression to their feel- 
ings ; but they might as well have spoken to the oxen 
that were drawing the logs to the building as to men 
oblivious to all sense of right from frequent potations of 
whiskey. Presently, Tom Wilson, and Jim Roberts (who 
seemed to be the equal of Tom in down-right ruffianism), 
pitted themselves against Jones, taking courage from 
mutual support. But Jones, though naturally mild and 
gentle as a lamb, was not the man to allow things to go 
too far without his “ John Bullism” showing a little of 
his prowess. At length, emboldened by Jones’s appa- 
rent shyness, the two men actually approached him in a 
menacing manner. Jones retreated a little, which only 
tended to increase their boldness. On their nearer ap- 
proach, the form of Jones seemed to swell to gigantic 
proportions, and, quick as thought, catching them by 
the back of their necks, one in each hand, he shook them 
as though he would shake their very bones asunder. 
He then brought their heads together with such force 
that the concussion was heard by all the company on the 
ground. After repeating this for five or six times, cast- 
ing them from him with herculean strength, they went 
whirling, and fell full length on the ground at a distance 
from him. Jones now walked coolly away from the 
spot, as composed as if nothing had occurred to ruffle 
his temper. Not so, however, the two men ; for Tom 
Wilson, raising himself upon one elbow, said — 

“ Golly, Jim, don’t that big fellow squeeze 1” 

“ I guess he does,” said Roberts. “ It was all your 


woman’s endurance. 


163 


fault ; he warn’t goin^ to be ugly till yo’ bothered him — 
and that’s jist so.” 

Wilson acknowledged the truth of these words, and 
quickly raising himself from the ground, started off to- 
wards Jones, followed by Koberts, and said — 

“ By golly ! big un, but yourn are pretty strong 
arms ; but it was all our fault — give us yourn fist, old 
fellow,” at the same time holding out his hand. Jones 
kindly took the proffered hands of the two men, one in 
either of his own, and drawing their heads towards him, 
said, in a loud whisper — • 

“ Remember that our Captain is neither Robert, Bob, 
nor Bobby, but Captain Walters — do you understand 
me?” He made them repeat the^name and title after 
him several times, to impress it on their memory. Thus 
these men, and others present, were taught that they 
could not with impunity overstep the bounds of good 
behavior. 

After this, the main business of the day went bravely 
on to its completion. The roof of the cabin was cov- 
ered with large sheets of birch bark, which had been 
stripped whole from the trunk of the tree. The door 
and window-places were furnished with pieces cut from 
the solid round logs. The party having the construction 
of the fireplace and chimney in hand, had it run up 
above the roof by the time the rest of the cabin was 
completed. 

Here, then, was the first great requirement of bush 
life begun and finished in one day — a log-cabin forty 
feet by twenty-five, divided in nearly the centre in the 
same way, and with like kind of material, as the ends ; 
and these rooms divided off into separate apartments — 


164 


LILLIAN; OR, 


as sleeping-rooms or otherwise, to suit the wish or con- 
venience of the occupants — by hanging up sheets or 
counterpanes from the rafters overhead. 

Mrs. Walters had made up her mind, during the day, 
to give the party, and especially the ladies, young and 
old, an agreeable suprise in the evening. So, she had 
the large canvas tent which they had brought with them 
from Montreal, taken out of the wagon and erected by 
Brown and Jones, under the superintendence of the ever- 
active Baptiste, at a distance from the place where the 
cabin? stood. In the centre of this tent a large table 
was placed, formed by adjusting the boxes and cases 
that contained the articles they had brought with them. 

Among the latter, Mrs. Walters had several china 
tea-sets. These she arranged with such taste upon the 
very handsome table-cloths which covered the temporary 
table, that the whole thing presented an appearance of 
real elegance. And then the tent was lighted up with 
a number of wax-candles placed in beautiful branch 
candlesticks. 

Mrs. Walters had supplied herself with an assortment 
of very choice tea before leaving Montreal ; this being 
now brought out, the capacious tea-urn was put in 
requisition, and filled to its brim with the fragrant and 
delicious beverage. Baptiste was in his glory, with 
his ruffle-shirt, white apron, light pantaloons and jacket 
— he was here, and there, and everywhere. The men 
had cut a number of round logs about the height of 
chairs, on which boards were laid, to form seats around 
the table. A large side-table was also erected on one 
side of the tent, on which was spread out, on trays and 
dishes, the cakes and bread provided by the ladies. It 


woman’s endueance. 


165 


must be acknowledged, that Mrs. Walters was greatly 
and agreeably surprised when she saw the profusion in 
which every thing had been supplied — new-laid eggs, 
the sweetest of fresh butter, and the richest of cream, 
forming a very conspicuous feature in the feast. 

The arrangements all finished, and the grand display 
made, Mrs. Walters felt her woman’s pride in no small 
degree excited when she contemplated the scene, and 
considered the impression all this would make on the 
minds of the assembled rustics. Brown and Jones, un- 
der the ever-vigilant eye of Baptiste, acted as sentinels, 
to prevent the intrusion of any person before the ap- 
pointed time, that the surprise might prove the more 
complete. And, indeed, all that was anticipated was 
more than realized, in the astonishment and bewilder- 
ment exhibited by the rustics, for they apparently felt, 
and really acted, as if they had been introduced into a 
fairy palace. Where such things could have come from, 
and how they could have been made, far surpassed their 
comprehension. But when the fragrant tea was served 
out in those delicate and beautiful china cups and sau- 
cers, they gave vent to their feelings, and were loud in 
their praises. But of the eagerness with which they 
quaffed the delicious beverage, vociferously calling for 
more and more, we shall not attempt a description. 
This was little like the decorous tea-parties which the 
refined and accomplished Captain and Mrs. Walters had 
been used to giving and attending. 

Long some of this unique party sat, and it was with 
great reluctance they retired, to make room at the table 
for the younger branches of their families. These had 
for some time exhibited, outside the tent, an impatience 


166 


L I LLI AN ; OR, 


difficult to restrain ; and when admitted, any attempt at 
restraint was utterly futile. They could only be com- 
pared to a company of wild, unbroken colts — some of 
them dirty and ragged as they were wild. Captain 
Walters stood by his wife at this moment, and whis- 
pered in her ear — 

“ My dear, one of the negative blessings of heaven 
will be, that there will be no unruly half-grown boys 
and girls there.” She nodded her assent with a smile. 

It was not long before the exultant feelings of Mrs, 
Walters received a check, as was evidenced by the 
gloom, and indeed momentary frown, upon her counte- 
nance. And no wonder ; for, at the first round of the 
cups of tea, served out to this herd of young incorrigi- 
bles, one of the boys struck the elbow of the girl who 
stood next to him, splashing the scalding hot tea over 
her face and hands, and dashing the beautiful china cup 
and saucer upon the fine table-cloth, and thence to the 
ground, in a thousand pieces. This was followed by a 
loud laugh by all the gawky and giddy throng, who ap- 
peared quite unconscious of the mischief they had done 
in breaking a part of a beautiful and expensive china 
tea-set, and which could not be replaced under the cir- 
cumstances. As misfortunes seldom come alone, we 
would say that through the recklessness of this untamed 
herd — no other term could so appropriately designate 
them — at the very least half a dozen mishaps occurred 
of a character similar to the one above described, durino* 
the evening. 

At length the toils, the pleasures, and the vexations 
of this eventful day came to a close, and the company, 
with different and very conflicting feelings, separated. 


woman’s endurance. 


167 


But before doing so, the men had built up a large log- 
fire in the capacious fireplace of the newly-erected 
cabin. 

Weary, and more than ordinarily thoughtful and sad, 
our company, after reading the Ninety-first Psalm, and 
committing themselves to the safe-keeping of their heav- 
enly Father for the night, retired to their oV?w5es of 
rest. 

Early on the following morning, the Captain and his 
wife entered the new log-cabin, and examined it and its 
surroundings with serious and thoughtful faces. It was 
evident that their minds were ill at ease, that something 
was pressing heavily on their hearts* ; and especially was 
this the case with the Captain, who said, in a soliloquiz- 
ing way — 

“ This puts me in mind of the old song, of the neat 
little cottage with the ground for the floor. This, I must 
say, is a neat cottage indeed I How it can in any way 
be made fit for human beings to dwell in, I am at a loss 
to tell.” 

Then turning to his wife, with a melancholy smile on 
his face, he said — 

“ My dear Eliza, where will you place your piano, and 
where shall we put the library ? I must tell you can- 
didly, my dear, that I begin to be afraid we have missed 
our way ; that we did not give ourselves time to reflect — 
to view things as they are — to think coolly and calmly ; 
that we acted upon the spur of the moment, and were 
too much under the influence of our imagination. We 
were captivated by the thrift and domestic peace and 
comfort of Captain Baldwin and his family. And the i 
we thought it would be something great and respect- 


168 


LILLIAN; OB, 


able to have 8, farm of a thousand acres, and be able to 
lead an independent and happy life. We have a farm, 
indeed, and it may be a thousand acres for aught I 
know ; but I know, too, that there is not the thousandth 
part of one acre on which we might raise a single 
mess of vegetables, or even herbs sufficient to render 
savory a single pot of soup, without the expenditure of 
great toil and a good amount of cash. I feel, at this 
moment, like a fish out of water. I am out of my proper 
place. It seems as though I had awoke from a deep 
sleep, a bewildering dream ; and now that I am come to 
this state of consciousness, I think I see things in their 
true light, and as I see them, I feel confounded. I see 
now that we have taken the entire direction of our 
affairs into our own hands, and have left the path in 
which a kind Providence had placed us, and for which 
our education and habits of life had fitted and prepared 
us. We were perplexed and frightened with a compar- 
atively few unpleasant trials and difficulties with which 
that path was strewn ; but now we are in a path in 
which we find real troubles, and in which, I am afraid, 
we shall meet insurmountable difficulties. Unfitted as 
we are by education and habily for the labors and duties 
that will be demanded of us, I feel that the prospect be- 
fore us is at once gloomy and disheartening. Sur- 
rounded, too, by a herd of untutored and uncouth boors 
— I had almost said savages — both young and old, rny 
dear Eliza, my patience is nearly exhausted, although I 
have been so short a time amongst them. But as all 
other avenues, save the one we have chosen, appear 
closed against us, we are denied the liberty of choice. 
But were it otherwise, what are we fit for, either in the 


woman’s endurance. 


169 


departments of manual or mental employment ? The 
mechanic, by continual toil, procures a comfortable sub- 
sistence for himself and family. The patient drudge, 
cooped up in his little store, begins life with small cap- 
ital, and, by successive turnings of his penny, eventu- 
ally attains to competence and a respectable position 
among his fellow-men. Happy men ! Alas ! at this 
moment I am almost led to envy the day-laborer, with 
pick and spade, pursuing his allotted toil, who, albeit 
his earnings are small, yet has robust health, with sound 
and refreshing sleep at night.” 

‘‘ My dear Robert,” said his wife, “ you are at this 
moment in a morbid state of mind — you are looking at 
things on their dark side. How do you know but that 
Providence has had very much to do in bringing us to 
this place, and putting us in our present position ? For 
there are higher and vastly more important duties and 
labors than the menial or even the mental avocations 
of life ; and a class of mind with clear moral percep- 
tions and convictions, and a strong sense of duty, is re- 
quired to occupy that position and to perform that work. 
My dear husband,” said she, “ we have been led by a 
train of circumstances and events which it would bo 
hard to undo ; it would indeed be difficult, if not utterly 
impossible, for us to retrace our steps. If this be the 
case, then would it not be the part of true wisdom and 
high manly courage to awake still more to your present 
moral position, and arouse yourself still further to your 
present duties and high responsibilities ? You seem to 
bewail your lot in life, that you have not the kind of 
talent and the physical hardihood that is required in 
this place ; and thus you quail before the magnitude of 
8 


170 


LILLIAN; OR, 


the labor before you. You are supposing that you are 
unfitted to fell trees in this forest ; that you cannot 
wield the axe ; that you cannot cultivate the soil ; and 
that you cannot plant, and sow, and reap. The dark, 
and dense, and tangled woods alarm you ; you are 
measuring your strength with those giant, massive oaks, 
with their gnarled and knotty trunks ; and then you 
suppose that this cabin, built of such rough material, 
and of such rude workmanship, is unfit for a habitation. 
It is my impression that there is a denser and ranker 
growth of moral evils to be eradicated, compared to 
which this dense and tangled forest presents but a 
vague and faint idea of labor. The woodman may, with 
his axe, his strong muscle, and determined will, make 
sure headway with his work in felling these trees. But 
what are his labor and its results, compared with the 
mightier and nobler task of operating on the mass of 
mind that we saw here yesterday, and with which you 
were so much displeased ? And then you seem to de- 
spair of this building ever being made sufficiently com- 
fortable, or even fit to dwell in. Why, my dear Robert, 
you may hew, and paint, and beautify the roughest and 
most unshapely log that forms a part of this cabin, and 
by labor, with skill, render the whole building one of 
comfort and convenience. Yet how impotent is human 
zeal, intelligence, and labor, in the great task of pre- 
paring the ignorant, rough, and uncouth beings we had 
here last night to become fit temples for the Holy Ghost 
to dwell in ! But what is impossible to man is possible 
with God. We know that. He makes use of human in- 
strumentality and agency to accomplish His purposes. 
And if we should be so far honored as to be made His 


woman’s endurance. 


171 


instruments in enlightening and saving one of those 
precious, priceless, blood-bought, deathless spirits, God 
would be more pleased, angels will have more cause to 
rejoice, and we ourselves, in time and eternity, shall 
recollect the event with more real and substantial de- 
light, than if you had with one swoop levelled this entire 
forest.” 

“ Now, my dear Robert, it is well to have a clear view 
of one’s mission ; and,” said she, looking her husband 
steadily in the face, “ Robert, can you have any doubt 
of yours ; or can you plead as an excuse a want of 
talent, or in any way an unfitness, to go forth with the 
sword of the Spirit — the all-powerful weapon of Divine 
truth — to cut down and clear away the tall and strong 
trees of error, and uproot the thick and tangled under- 
growth of vice ; and, under Divine aid and influence, to 
labor to so cleanse, build up, and beautify these souls, so 
as to render them habitations for the Holy Ghost ; to 
endeavor to break up the fallow-ground of their hearts, 
and to plant and sow the seeds of every virtue ? Now 
what do you say, Robert — will you, like J onah, flee from 
your responsibilities, and thus incur the Divine dis- 
pleasure, deterred from their performance by difficulties, 
or frightened by their magnitude ? Or will you say 
with the great Apostle, ‘ None of these things move me, 
neither count I my life dear unto me, so that I may win 
souls to Christ ?’ ” 

At the close of this warm and impassioned address, 
the Captain stood before his wife as though spell-bound : 
after musing for a few moments, he said — 

“ My dear Eliza, you have touched the right chord in 
my heart. I was wandering away ; I was forgetting 


172 


LILLIAN; OH, 


myself ; but you have, by your clear statement of m^ 
work, my duties, and high responsibilities, brought me 
back to a state of mind proper for their due performance ; 
though you have not at all diminished the magnitude of 
the work to which I alluded, nor shown my ability to 
be adequate to its accomplishment. Yet, you have 
shown me where my real strength is to be drawn from ; 
and you have opened up a new field of thought, and 
given abundant food for reflection. I trust I shall hence- 
forth not only be diligent in the business of life, but 
likewise fervent in spirit, and endeavor to carry out 
your suggestions, and enter every open door that may 
be presented where good may be done ; and that, de- 
pending on our blessed Lord, I shall be more determined 
than ever to go forth, making mention of His righteous- 
ness, and His only.” 

After this, there was no hanging back from duty, and 
no shrinking from the heaviest cross-bearing. Oh I 
happy the man who has such a wife as was Mrs. Wal- 
ters, to stand by him in his dark moments ; to urge him 
on in the right ; to counsel and lovingly assist him in 
all the onerous duties of life I The Captain now felt 
that the best place for him was, where he might be the 
means of accomplishing the greatest amount of good, 
both by precept and example. A.nd surely there was full 
scope for his largest desires in the settlement in which 
he had cast his lot, for the families there were as sheep 
without a shepherd. 


woman’s endurance. 


173 


CHAPTER XIII. 

He now set to work, with a right good-will, to render 
his new home as comfortable as the nature of things 
would admit. All the party had learned to accommo- 
date themselves to circumstances. 

The Captain engaged men to cut down the trees, and 
clear a large space, and prepare it for a crop. He made 
arrangements with a carpenter to erect a commodious 
framehouse, with suitable out-buildings, from drawings 
he had himself executed. 

A few days after the erection of the log-cabin, the 
Captain was observing the men at work felling trees and 
clearing a space of ground for a garden, when he saw 
Obadiah Crooks coming towards him. The Captain ad- 
vanced to meet him, and greeted him by a right hearty 
shake of the hand, and a warm and friendly salutation — 
presenting a perfect contrast to the cold and formal ap- 
proaches of the Quaker. Obadiah, taking a glance at 
the cabin, and at the men at work, said — 

“I see, friend Walters, thee has been making a little 
progress. I sent my yoke of oxen, with a man to drive 
them, to assist thee in the raising of thy cabin ; I trust 
thee was pleased with the way in which they did thy 
work.” 

The Captain was warm in his acknowledgments of 
the kindness of Obadiah, and praised highly the way in 


174 


LILLIAN; OR, 


which the oxen and their driver had gone through their 
day’s work ; when Obadiah said — 

“Friend Walters, will it be agreeable to thee to take 
a walk a little way with me in this direction V’ pointing 
to a part of the woods where the eight horses were 
grazing on the scanty supply of grass, or browsing on 
the low and tender branches of the trees. 

When the Captain and Obadiah had got a little way 
from the men at work, as already alluded to, one of 
them ill-naturedly said — 

“ Tom Wilson said, ‘ Crook has got our new master 
in tow, and he’ll bleed him as sure as my name’s Tom.’ ” 

The Quaker had already been looking at the horses, 
very narrowly and closely noticing all their points, for 
he was a thorough judge of horse-flesh. And to say the 
truth, he was no less a judge of human nature ; for he 
knew well all the arts by which the cunning and un- 
scrupulous man lures his victim into his toils. But after 
all, to speak truth, Obadiah was a good man, as a 
general thing : it was only where there was any bar- 
gain-making on hand, that an all-grasping selfishness 
gained the mastery over him. Coming up with the 
horses, Obadiah said — 

“Friend Walters, I suppose thee finds that my words 
were true, that thy horses will prove a great encum- 
brance to thee. Hast thou thought of any way of dis- 
posing of them ?” 

“ Why, no,” said the Captain ; “ I should not like to 
part with my horses, they are such very choice ones. 
You see that they are of the pure Normandy breed ; you 
can tell that by their small head, short, thick-set neck, 
and clean, strong limbs. And then it will not be very 


175 


woman’s endurance. 

expensive to keep them, even should I have to purchase 
their food through the winter, as they will maintain 
their present good condition on very little feed.” 

The remarks of the Captain, and especially those in 
praise of his horses, had made a deep impression on 
Obadiah’s mind ; and although he maintained a cold im- 
passiveness in his manner, yet his eyes twinkled and 
snapped again, as he continued, looking at the fine 
animals — 

“ All that thou says may be very true ; but thee sees 
that a less number than eight horses will serve thy 
purpose for some years to come. And then,” continued 
Obadiah, “ thee must have at the least one yoke of oxen, 
as thee will find that horses are not steady enough to 
work in the bush, as that kind of work will harass them, 
and fret them to death ; so that, as I say, thee must 
have one yoke of oxen.” 

“ Well,” said the Captain, “ I suppose that I must have 
some oxen, as you say ; they are better adapted for the 
work in the bush by their patient drudgery than horses, 
and I might then, as you say, do with a less number 
than eight horses.” 

“ That is just so,” said the Quaker, at the same time 
drawing nearer to the Captain ; and lowering his voice 
with an apparently confiding look and manner, he con- 
tinued — 

“ Friend Walters, I shall have it in my power to do 
thee many a kindness, and in many ways, and I have a 
strong wish to be a good neighbor with thee. I have 
been thinking, as I have two yoke of very fine young 
oxen, I will let thee have my best yoke for that span of 
horses” — at the same time pointing to the span of horses 


176 


LILLIAN; OB, 


he had already selected from the lot — “ thee knows that 
my oxen are young and strong.” 

The Captain looked, first at the Quaker and then at 
the horses, and then back at the Quaker, as if in great 
perplexity. At length he said — 

“ But, Mr. Crooks, I do not know what my horses 
would sell for in this neighborhood, and I am quite as 
ignorant of the value of your oxen.” 

“ That may be all very true,” said the acute Obadiah ; 
“ but thee can judge which will do thy work in the bi^sh 
the best, and so give thee the most satisfaction.” 

Finally, after much chaffering, the Captain, though 
not very willingly, acceded to the wishes of the wily 
Quaker, who departed with the span of horses for the 
yoke of oxen — the former of a value, at the least, thrice 
that of the oxen. 

This transaction was soon noised abroad throughout 
the Concession, and very freely commented on, in every 
variety of language and spirit ; though it was plain that 
the best-disposed individual in the neighborhood, while 
blaming the overreaching spirit of Obadiah, would have 
had no objection to making the same exchange, could 
he have had the same favorable chance. But, wisdom 
is seldom good till it is bought : and so it proved in this 
case ; for, dearly bought though it was, it turned out to 
be a valuable lesson to the Captain. While it proved 
that he, from his inexperience and simplicity, was no 
match for the keen trading propensities of his neighbors, 
it placed him fully on his guard. He ever after made it 
a standing rule never to trade with any one in the Con- 
cession in the way of barter ; but, if he was in want of 
any article, be it food or whatever else, to take it at its 
^9 


woman’s endurance. 


177 


cash value, and pay for it on the spot. The same rule 
he observed when he had any thing to dispose of. In 
this way he soon established a character for straight- 
forward, honest dealing. 



8 * 


CHAPTER XIV. 


As the Captain had, from the very first Sabbath after 
leaving Montreal, appropriated that day to its proper 
sanctified use, so he continued to do now that he was 
settled in his new home in the bush. And, at the sug- 
gestion of Mrs. Walters, who said that they did not 
wish to eat their morsel alone, the canvas tent was 
fitted up with desk and seats, for the accommodation of 
any one of the neighbors who might feel disposed to 
join with them in their Sabbath exercises. The very 
novelty of the thing was a sufficient attraction to many, 
who came to see and hear what new thing had come 
among them ; and then, the majority who came were 
especially delighted with the singing. But, as for the 
weighty and important truths that were enunciated by 
the Captain, though delivered with affectionate fervor, 
and addressed home to the heart with great force and 
point, they were listened to with impatience by the gap- 
ing and wondering company. 

But, notwithstanding this unpropitious state of things, 
the meetings were continued for a number of weeks, 
though the minds of many who participated therein 
seemed to be utterly impervious to moral or religious 
impressions. One day, however, late in the afternoon, 
the wife of Sam Barker came to request the Captain to 
go with her to see her husband ; saying he was sick, 


woman’s endurance. 


179 


and at the same time expressing serious apprehensions 
that he was “ losing his head that for some time he 
had had scarcely any sleep at night, yet was half asleep 
through the day ; that he went moping about, and talk- 
ing to himself in a most awful way ; that she had once 
or twice caught him on his knees, or laying at full 
length on the ground behind some bushes, and for the 
life of her she could not get a sensible word out of him ; 
and he was moaning and crying ^most all the time. And 
she wanted the Captain to come and see him, as he 
was a very knowledgeable man, for she could not tell 
what in the world was the matter with him herself. 

The Captain smiled at the simplicity of the woman’s 
narration, and, truly surmising the real nature of the 
bodily and mental malady of her husband, unhesitatingly 
accompanied her to her home. When he arrived at the 
place, he found Sam in a wretched state of mind : his 
heart had been stricken, and the strong man bowed be- 
fore the stroke. He felt unable to account for, or to 
explain the nature of his malady, or the state of his 
mind ; he could only say he had been a bad man all his 
life, that he felt sure of going to hell, and knew that he 
deserved it. The Captain found him excessively igno- 
rant, but adapting, as near as he could, his remarks to 
the man’s capacity and present state of mind, he sought 
to explain to him the way of salvation, pointing out to 
him that Jesus came into the world to save just such as 
he, for He came to save sinners ; and after reading to 
him portions of the word of God suited to his case, and 
spending a short time in prayer, left him to the further 
workings of his own mind, and to the leading and en- 
lightening influences of the Holy Spirit. 


180 


LILLIAN; OR, 


On the day after the above occurrence the wife of 
Tom Wilson came to the Captain, in a very disconsolate 
state, declaring that something very bad was come over 
her man ; that she thought he was surely luny ; that he 
said that God was awful cross with him, and that the 
devil was going to be no use to him no more, and he 
warn’t going to be no use to the devil, any how you can 
fix it. 

“ Oh, sir,” said she, “ he is in a awfu^ bad way ; he^s 
a’ the time doin’ the wrang thing first and the first thing 
wrang, so yo’ see that things are out a’ round.” 

“Well,” said the Captain, “shall I go and see your 
husband, Mrs. Wilson ?” 

“ Oh, golly, no I” said she, “ for he ain’t at a’ pleased 
wi’ yo’ ; for he said that yo’ talked a’ about him in yer 
preach last Sunday. And that he knowed that Jim 
Roberts had bin tellin’ yo’ a’ about him ; but he says 
yo’s a mighty smart man.” 

“Well, if that is the case,” said the Captain, “I owe 
it to my own character to go and see your husband, and 
at the same time I can vindicate Mr. Roberts. The fact 
is, Mrs. Wilson, your husband now sees himself in a 
glass that he has never looked into before, and he is 
alarmed at what it shows him.” 

“ Oh, no, sir, that ain’t so, cause we ain’t got only one 
glass i’ the shanty, and that’s a’ broke !” 

“ But that is not what I mean, Mrs. Wilsc n,” said the 
Captain ; “ I mean that the Divine Spirit is enlightening 
his judgment, and alarming his conscience, by holding 
up before his newly-opened mind the purity of the Divine 
law, and showing how he has exposed himself to its con- 
demnation by having broken its enactments.” 


woman’s endurance. 


181 


^‘Well,” said Mrs. Wilson, “we ain’t got no lamin’ 
here i’ the bush, but maybe a’ yo’ say is just so.” 

The Captain went with Mrs. Wilson to see her man, 
as she called her husband, and found him under deep 
convictions of soul for sin. 

Wilson seemed much surprised to hear that the Cap- 
tain had not spoken on the last Sabbath from any special 
personal knowledge of his case, and that neither Rob- 
erts nor any other person had had any communication 
with him on the subject. 

One very remarkable circumstance made a deep im- 
pression on the mind of the Captain — namely, that not 
only was there a great change in the manner and con- 
duct of these two noted men, from the wild, reckless 
abandonment that had so offended him when he first saw 
them ; but their softened countenances and subdued 
spirits, evidenced a transformation of the inner man to 
such an extent that they would hardly be recognized as 
the same men. 

After talking, reading, and praying with Wilson, he 
turned his steps towards his home. His own soul deeply 
imbued with the spirit of his Divine Master, with ardent, 
grateful emotions he cried out : “ What hath God 
wrought I” These things were no less gratifying to 
Mrs. Walters than they had been to her husband. Jones 
and Brown united with their wives in a full chorus of 
glory to God for His marvellous goodness. Our old 
friend Baptiste had also come to know the value of ex- 
perimental religion. Thus, the whole of our company, 
firm in faith and ardent worshippers, were continual in 
prayers, unitedly and singly, in private and in public, 
beseeching God to deepen, extend, and continue His 


182 


LILLIAN; OR, 


work in His own way, irrespective of the meanness or 
ignorance of the instrumentality employed. 

On the following Sabbath, at the stated time of meet- 
ing, a greater number of hearers assembled than ever 
before. But that was not all : so great attention was 
paid to the speaker, there was such a drinking in of the 
word spoken — this reacting on the mind and manner of 
the speaker — that a sympathy was felt, a sense of the 
Divine power and presence, such as was experienced 
when, in the days of old, God appeared to be vindicating 
his own name. Sinners were pricked to the heart, and 
pleaded earnestly for mercy. One remarkable feature 
in this scene was, that Tom Wilson and Sam Barker, 
with faces radiant with smiles, were actively and 
earnestly employed in going from penitent to penitent, 
endeavoring, in their simple way, to direct them to 
Jesus. 

What a striking and delightful contrast this scene 
presented, to that of the day on which the hee was called 
to erect the log-cabin I But such is the change the gos- 
pel invariably produces, when it has free course and is 
glorified ; when it is divested of the clumsy and cum- 
bering machinery — the contrivances of short-sighted 
man. This appeared to be the beginning of good daj’^s, 
but oh I how often are our brightest prospects and 
sweetest hopes blighted— ending in disappointment ! 

Captain Walters had for some time exhibited indica- 
tions of failing health, which, sensible as he was of his 
j)liysical condition, he endeavored to screen, if possible, 
from the observation of his wife. But her eye, with 
delicate scrutiny, penetrated the secret ; yet she hid her 
fears from her husband, and only exhibited her anxiety 


woman’s endurance. 


183 


by increased tenderness, and attention to all his wants 
and wishes. Though she ever approached him with 
loving words and winning smiles, many were the tears 
she shed in secret on his account. 

The Captain, notwithstanding his feeble health, con- 
tinued in labors more abundant. His frame house and 
out-buildings were urged rapidly to completion, as he 
wished to occupy them before the severe weather of 
winter set in. He had also a number of men at work 
felling trees on his land. As it would be too late to 
burn the logs that season, green as they were, he was 
advised to have them slashed that fall and through the 
winter. The Captain, at a loss to know what was meant 
by slashing^ was informed that it was merely to cut down 
the trees, and let them lie just where they fell : not to 
lose time in lopping off the boughs or cutting up the 
trunks into log-lengths, but to allow them time to dry 
as they lay : then, early in the spring, to cut them up, 
and form them into winrows, so that he might take ad- 
vantage of the first spell of fine, dry weather, to burn 
them off. 

But what appeared to exert an influence the most 
absorbing on the minds of Captain Walters and his wife 
was the spiritual well-being of their neighbors ; and if 
ever laborers in their Lord’s vineyard had cause to ac- 
knowledge the hand of God in their work. Captain and 
Mrs. Walters undoubtedly had. They felt the tremen- 
dous importance of their high mission. In his view the 
sacred desk was not designed to be an arena in which 
to exhibit any of the clap-traps of the mere orator, for 
the purpose of creating a sensation. Nor was the Cap- 
tain like the pseudo-divine, who fritters away his pre- 


184 : 


LILLIAN; OR, 


cious moments in the discussion of some comparatively 
frivolous point of school-divinity. No I Well read, 
and thoroughly versed in the divine word, he made that 
the man of his counsel, and the armory out of which to 
select his most potent weapons. The burning, fiery, 
flashing missiles that he threw amongst his hearers were 
the weighty truths of revelation. Salvation, through 
the all-atoning blood and sacrifice of Christ, was the 
theme on which he delighted to dwell, and of which he 
never tired. True it was, he had not been licensed, nor 
had he received his commission from man, or been or- 
dained by those high in clerical office. It was the 
finger of God that had written the divine law upon his 
heart, and the inspiration of His Holy Spirit that had 
opened up before his willing and inquiring mind the 
precious truths of revelation ; and thus inspired and 
equipped, many were the wounded, and the slain, and 
the healed, through his instrumentality, in his short but 
eventful Christian warfare. He had balm as well as 
bane for the human heart. Yes I having startled the 
sinner’s soul with the thunders of Sinai, he led his 
stricken, smitten, and bleeding heart penitent to Mount 
Zion. 



woman’s endurance. 


185 


CHAPTER XV. 

On a very bright day in the month of November, 
during that period known in North America as Indian 
summer — when a general lull, a serene quiet, pervades 
all nature, with scarcely enough breeze to stir the tini- 
est twig — when the feathered tenants of the grove have 
migrated to softer climes and sunnier skies — a stranger 
approached the new habitation of Captain Walters. 
The Captain was at that moment in the front of his new 
dwelling, giving some directions regarding a picket- 
fence which two men were employed in erecting. On 
the approach of the stranger, the quick eye of the Cap- 
tain could discern at once that he was well-bred, and 
he soon found him to be a highly educated gentleman — 
a very, rare sight in that place. His dress, his manners, 
his words of introduction, and indeed his very spirit, as 
it beamed through his noble countenance, all spoke un- 
mistakably in his favor. The ease of the gentleman 
was exhibited in the simple movement of the hand, as it 
was put forth to meet the free and hearty salutation of 
the Captain. It required but a short time for two intel- 
ligent and well-instructed men to flow, as it were, into 
each other’s good graces. But this was especially so, 
under the circumstances, with Captain Walters, who of 
late had been completely cut off from intercourse with 


186 


LILLIAN; OR, 


superior minds, excepting* his own wife. In this respect 
he had been like a chained eagle, or a giant among 
dwarfs. The cramped and tiny minds of those by whom 
he was surrounded, and with whom he must hold much 
intercourse, were clouded by vague and vulgar preju- 
dices, and all their action prompted and urged on by the 
low incentives of selfishness. It is true, a great and 
salutary change had been effected in the moral aspect 
t»f things, that grace had in a good degree subdued their 
passions and even new-moulded their hearts ; but it was 
not within its province to inform and expand their intel- 
lect. And so the Captain, while he rejoiced in the evi- 
dences of grace around him, felt deeply the need of asso- 
ciation with some congenial intellect. It was now his 
great good fortune to meet with a friend such as he had 
been wishing for ; and it was equally gratifying to the 
stranger that Providence had directed his steps to the 
dwelling of this estimable couple. 

We have already partially indicated the general ap- 
pearance of the stranger. Tall and stoutly formed, he 
evidently possessed great strength. His hair was long, 
straight, and black ; his eye black and piercing, and 
restless at times ; his forehead high and broad, with the 
remainder of the head well balanced ; the color of his 
face approaching a brown, yet with mixture of a whiter 
cast. In fact, it might have been seen from the general 
cast of his features, as well as from his personal appear- 
ance, that he was of Indian descent, and one of nature’s 
noblemen. Without further noticing his personal ap- 
pearance in this connection, we would state that his 
father was an Indian chief, and one of the most remark- 
able men of his day and nation — noted at once for his 


woman’s endurance. 


187 


bravery in war, and wise counsel in peace. His mother 
was French, and had been the wife of a French officer 
who was wounded in the wars with the Indians, and in 
that state was captured by them, together with his 
young and beautiful wife, who evinced her love by her 
determination not to leave her husband under such very 
trying circumstances. During the confinement of the 
young French officer by his wounds, the chief of the 
tribe of Indians exhibited more than ordinary humanity 
and intelligence, and was at once assiduous in his atten- 
tions and gentle in his spirit towards the captive officer 
and his amiable spouse. But notwithstanding the sooth- 
ing presence of a loving wife, and all the remedies that 
the Indian chief could apply, his wounds at length 
proved fatal, and dying, he left his wife to the tender 
mercies of the red-man. But the red-man’s breast, as 
well as that of a whiter skin, may be swayed by gen- 
tle emotions. He had compassion ; he soothed the sor- 
rows of his fair captive ; he gained her confidence by 
his delicate guardianship of her honor ; and feeling safe 
in his keeping, she confided in his plighted vows. After 
this, the step was short but sure, for they loved ; and 
when two hearts are thus closely knit, seeming incon- 
gruities are lost sight of, for the union of hands follows 
where the heart leads the way. In the course of time, 
the result of this union was the birth of a boy. It might 
have been expected that this boy would possess and ex- 
hibit some of the general traits of character of each of 
his parents ; and indeed it was so ; for the vigor of the 
father’s mind and person was strongly marked in him, 
and this, united with his mother’s vivacity and spright- 
liness, tended to produce a character of quite an original 


188 


LILLIAN; OR, 


cast. Very early in life there were developed that dar- 
ing courage and strong will, together with personal dex- 
terity, that soon placed him at the head and far in the 
front in all the athletic sports of Indian pastime and 
practice. He would lead the way in the hazardous en- 
terprise, and carry away the palm of victory from older 
and stronger boys than himself. He was, though so 
young, always alert in the hunt of the wild beast of the 
forest, and the celerity of his movements ever placed 
him first in the chase. Indeed, it appeared that he pos- 
•sessed all the germs of greatness, that required only a 
congenial soil and fostering influences to mature. And 
then the kindlier feelings and emotions of the heart had 
no small share in softening the rougher and wilder in- 
stincts of his nature ; so that, to see him under the 
influence of the extremes of his nature — of his dark and 
turbulent passions on the one hand, and of his better 
feelings and sentiments on the other — one could scarcely 
be persuaded that he was one and the same person. 
But there was a trait in his character that gave value 
and force to all the rest — he was at once attentive and 
obedient to his mother, and she exercised unbounded in- 
fluence over him for good. 

Very early in life, this boy gave marked evidence of 
sterling mental talent, and his mother being a woman of 
cultivated mind and high attainments, was fully capable 
of nurturing and directing the aspirations of the eager 
youth. When she had exhausted all her own intellec- 
tual resources, her boy was sent, through the influence 
of a Catholic priest, to the Montreal College, where he 
won laurels, and established a name. And his fame as 
a scholar, and a youth of remarkable shrewdness and 


woman’s endurance. 


189 


great prudence, being at the same time intimately ac- 
quainted with the French, English, and Indian lan- 
guages, clearly pointed him out as an eligible and fit 
person to act as agent of the English Government to 
the various tribes of Indians then scattered through Up- 
per Canada. So, without any solicitations on his own 
part, at the close of his college studies he was selected 
by the representatives of the British Government, and 
endowed with full powers as chief agent and superin- 
tendent of all the Indian tribes in Upper Canada. The 
office itself brought him into frequent and close inter- 
course with the officers of the government, which had 
the tendency, together with the polish of the French 
manners and spirit, that he had drunk in, as it were, 
with his mother’s milk, to give a high degree of refine- 
ment to his general deportment. 

The native goodness of his own heart had induced 
him to introduce many ameliorations into his charge, so 
that he had become quite a popular favorite wherever 
his name and work had become known. And although 
we have introduced him as a stranger personally to Cap- 
tain Walters, yet his fame had already reached there 
before himself, and he had only to mention his name to 
render the introduction complete. He, too, had no need 
to be informed about Captain Walters and his amiable 
and very excellent wife, for he had already heard pleas- 
ing representations of their present doings, as well as of 
their antecedents while residing in Montreal ; and it was 
owing to the high notions he had formed of their charac- 
ter that he had thus sought this interview with them : 
and he ever after congratulated himself that he had 
been so highly favored in forming such a friendship. 


190 


LITiLIAN; OR, 


We would say, that the Indian name of this young 
man’s father was indicative of the character that he 
bore in his own tribe as a stanch and unflinching war- 
rior, and signified, “ The rock that breasts the storm.” 
His mother’s name was Le Glair, and that was the name 
given to her son, and by which he was known. And, 
as Mr. Le Clair resided at quite a distance from the 
home of Captain Walters, and being on this day of his 
introduction on a mission of some importance, he had 
but a short time to spend with them, beyond partaking 
with them of a very excellently cooked dinner : after 
which he took his leave, with many and pressing invita- 
tions to renew his visit, and prolong his stay ; which 
was responded to with strong assurances as to the high 
degree of pleasure with which he should avail h mself 
of the privilege. 



woman’s endurance. 


191 


CHAPTER XVI. 

On the day after the visit of Mr. Le Clair, there were 
two visitors who in character and personal appearance 
were the very opposites of that gentleman. These were 
a decrepid and aged female, accompanied by a no less 
infirm old man, with clothes much the worse for wear. 
They slowly approached the house, scrutinizing the sur- 
roundings — the female closely' enveloped in a black 
cloak, and peering from a large hood. They made their 
way to the door of the new dwelling, and requested a 
drink of water. Mrs. Walters invited them in, and 
handed each of them a chair. Regardless of pressing 
solicitations, the female would not divest herself of her 
hood and cloak. She was keenly observant of every 
movement made by the members of the family, and scru- 
tinized every part of the room, and every object it con- 
tained. A short time after these strangers had been 
seated Captain Walters entered the room, and at once 
attracted the intense gaze of the stranger. She kept 
her black and piercing eyes so steadily upon him — as 
if reading him through and through — that the Captain 
felt really uncomfortable. Soon after, hastily rising 
from their seats, the strangers abruptly left the house, 
rejecting pressing invitations to partake of refresh- 
ments ; and it made their conduct the more strange, that 
dinner was already on the table. Many were the sur- 


192 


LILLIAN; OR, 


mises as to who they were, whence they were, and what 
could have prompted them to act so strangely. Another 
thing made a deep impression on the minds of the Cap- 
tain and his wife — that although the two mysterious 
beings, on their arrival, seemed so decrepid that they 
could scarcely walk, yet, when they left, they skipped 
along as nimbly as if running for a wager. The mys- 
tery was still further increased, when, as Mrs. Brown 
was cleaning up the room after dinner, and adjusting 
the cushion of the chair on which the strange female 
had sat, there fell from under the cushion a letter, which, 
on taking it up, she found was addressed, “ Mrs. Eliza 
Walters,” to whom she straightway took it. The mo- 
ment Mrs. Walters looked upon the letter she became 
enervated, her color came and went, her lips moved in- 
voluntarily, yet had lost the power of utterance ; her 
whole frame, indeed, was in a violent tremor, and she 
had almost lost the power of self-support. , 

At this moment the Captain entered the room, and 
seeing her in so alarming a condition, he sprang to her 
side, but such was the perturbed state of his own mind, 
that he was quite unable to articulate an inquiry as to 
the cause of what he witnessed. Mrs. Brown was no 
less confused : all that she could do, when she had ral- 
lied a little, was to point to the letter that lay on the 
floor. The sight of the letter increased the perplexity 
of the Captain, for it brought vividly to his mind, as it 
had already to that of his wife, former incidents of the 
same kind. 

This state of things — all this agitation and confusion 
— was not simply the result of the presentation of the 
letter by Mrs. Brown. On the contrary, it was the sud- 


woman’s endurance. 


193 


den flash of memories and convictions through the brain^ 
and instantly associating these with the mysterious fe- 
male and the letter, that produced all this mental per- 
turbation. Mrs. Brown rightly judged, when she con- 
cluded that to bring the mind of each to its wonted 
tone the surest restorative would be a short and quiet 
repose. So, laying Mrs. Walters gently on the couch, 
she left her and the Captain in silence, that their agi- 
tated minds and perturbed feelings might spend their 
force, and subside of themselves. 

After Mrs. Brown had left her patients, and again 
went about her work of clearing up and setting things 
to rights, the little daughter of Mrs. Jones came to her 
and said — 

“ Mrs. Brown, that was not an old woman that had 
that big cloak on.” 

“ Oh,” said Mrs. Brown, “ go away, what do you know 
about it ?” 

“ Why,” said the little girl, “ I do know ; ^cause I 
could see, for I stood close beside her, and I was look- 
ing right in her face, and Pm sure that sne wasn^t an 
old woman, but a very nice young woman ; and when 
she seen me looking at her, she jumped up and went 
right away.” 

This simple and straight forward tale of the little girl 
set Mrs. Brown musing, and guessing, and wondering ; 
and when the first chance oflered, she related her state- 
ment to the two most interested parties. It tended not 
in the least, however, to dissipate the darkness by which 
they were surrounded. 

After Mrs. Walters had somewhat recovered her com- 
posure of mind, she said — 

9 


194 


LILLIAN; OR, 


My dear Robert, am I always to be made the sport 
of these very singular and mysterious doings ? Is there 
not in the world a spot to be found sufiSciently retired to 
hide us from the intrusion of that horrid black phantom 
“ Why, my dear Eliza,” said her husband, “ I can as- 
sure you that I am as much at a loss to answer that 
question as you are. But I, however, feel disposed, if I 
could only see the way, to use every means within my 
power to unravel the enigma. I am completely at a loss 
to account for the motive that can induce these erratic 
beings thus to follow and act towards us in the way 
they do. ' Let me look at the letter, and see if that will 
afford us any clue, or throw any light on the subject 
The Captain took the letter, and saw that, as all the 
others had been, it was directed in a remarkable neat 
and beautiful female hand. Breaking the seal, he found 
that its contents were the counterpart of the previous 
ones. The same aphorism, a quotation from the Ninety- 
seventh Psalm, “ The Lord reigneth, let the earth re- 
joice f and a quotation from the Gospel of St. John, 
“ What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know 
hereafter f and, as before, a Bank of England five hun- 
dred pound sterling note. Having read and re-read the 
letter, the Captain sat musing in silence for some mo- 
ments, and then handed ‘the note and the letter to his 
wife, who received them as if in. a state of listless stupor. 

At this stage of things, Mrs. Brown came into the 
room, and reiterating what Mrs. Joneses little girl had 
said, about the age of the strange woman as she called 
her, she said she felt inclined to believe her, for she was 
always a prying little thing ; and then she was sure 
the little puss told the truth — she would sooner trust to 


woman’s endurance. 


195 


her woid than many a gTown-up person’s. This, without 
removing any difficulties, or solving any of the perplexi- 
ties by which they were surrounded, gave a new turn 
to their thoughts. At length, Mrs. Walters said with a 
kind of half-musing, vacant look — 

“ Is it possible I Not an old woman ? Will my past 
life furnish any clue that will lead my mind to fix on 
any person whom I could suppose capable of acting in 
so erratic a way as this — tantalizing me with these dark 
and hidden doings, and such vague promises of future 
developments — first wounding my very heart, and then 
applying the salve of her lavish wealth?” On uttering 
these words — holding up the sterling bank-note, looking 
at it herself, and calling the attention of her husband to 
it — with a sorrowful look, and a mournful expression, 
she said — 

“ I have no recollection of any mother or father, any 
sister or brother — who am I, what am I, where am I 
from ?” 

These words were expressed with so much feeling, 
yea, with guch agony, that they seemed as though 
wrung from her inmost soul. Her husband throwing 
his arms around her, exclaimed — 

“ My own dear Eliza, you are the wife of Robert Wal- 
ters, is not that enough, and better than father or mo- 
ther, or sister or brother ?” 

“ Oh !” said she, “ was it not sufficient for me to bear 
my lot alone, instead of linking the destiny of another 
to my sorrows ? Better had he sought the hand of some 
rustic maid, who had been nurtured in a domestic circle 
that was blest with the sweet memories of a father’s and 
a mother’s love ; but my being is a blank, with no ves- 


196 


LILLIAN; OR, 


tiges of the early loves of kindred to relate to my hus- 
band !’’ 

“ Oh, my own dear Eliza I’^ said her husband, “ if you 
have no loved relatives to praise, you have none to 
blame ; and if you have none to cherish and bless you, 
you have none to discard and malign you. But, my own 
dear love, there is one heart that feels for you, and there 
is one bosom on which you may recline with perfect 
freedom, and with entire safety, and which you may 
make the depositary of the inmost thoughts of your 
soul. There is one who is fully able to appreciate your 
worth, and who sympathizes with you in all your sor- 
rows — you have a husband.” 

At the utterance of these expressions by her husband, 
her whole frame shook, and with an utterance, half-aloud, 
half-choked with grief, she questioned with herself — 

“Yes; but how long shall I have him? Oh I the 
future, still darker than the past I” 

Catching the import of these words, and noticing the 
manner in which they were spoken, her husband was 
confounded ; for they revealed to his mind tljat she had 
penetrated what he deemed a secret buried within his 
own breast. To meet this new development he had no 
soothing balm to offer — no word or sentiment that would 
reach the case. With an almost involuntary motion he 
fell on his knees, and drawing his wife gently down to 
the same position, at that fountain of hope and consola- 
tion always accessible to the sorrowing and the suffer- 
ing, they mutely and unitedly breathed forth the aspi- 
rations of their sadly smitten hearts. 


woman’s endurance. 


197 


CHAPTER XVIL 

As there appears to be considerable importance at- 
tached to the doings of the two strange beings who 
have caused such consternation in the new residence of 
Captain Walters, we will just follow them, and if possi- 
ble overtake those fleet horses, as thoj?- are moving east- 
ward, in the direction of the town, or rather the village 
of Kingston. But surely they are not the same persons. 
Instead of a black cloak and large hood, the lady has a 
neat travelling-dress, with a plain but handsome bon- 
net : the man, a suit of livery, as being the servant of 
some titled and wealthy family. 

They arrived at a small tavern by the roadside, where 
they intend to remain for the night, and where it ap- 
peared they had remained the night previous, with the 
understanding that they were to return and spend this 
night also. Of course, suitable preparations had been 
made for their reception, as they appeared to be above 
the common grade of travellers in that section of coun- 
try. After partaking of a supper that would have done 
no discredit to a hotel of more pretentious appearance, 
the servant-man was summoned into the presence of the 
lady, who was seated in the best room of the house, 
though of rather circumscribed dimensions. When the 
man entered, the lady interrogated him — 

“Well, Thomas, what do you think of the new home 
of Captain Walters 


198 


LILLIAN; OR, 


“ Why, rny lady,” said the man, “ I was thinking" wliat 
would the neighbors consider about such a grand house 
as that in the bush. I should think that they would 
conclude it was something above their log-shanties.” 

“Yes,” said the lady, “but you know that Captain 
Walters is a man of correct taste and large views, and 
that nothing less would satisfy him.” 

“ Yes, and Mrs. Walters, too,” said the man. “ In that 
respect, as well as in many others, they seem as though 
their minds had been cast in the same mould. And then 
if the house presents such a fine appearance now, what 
will it be when it is all finished ? But, I am afraid Cap- 
tain Walters is not going to enjoy it long, even if he 
lives to see it finished, if I may judge from his looks.” 

“Ah! did you notice that, Thomas ?” said the lady. 
“I can assure you I was so greatly shocked when I 
saw him, that I could not take my eyes off him ; and I 
have no doubt he observed my viewing him so intently. 
Thrown off my guard by that pretty, intelligent-looking 
little girl who so steadily gazed into my face, and 
almost so far forgetting myself as to take her in my lap 
and give her a kiss, and becoming alarmed lest Captain 
Walters and his wife should notice the way in which I 
acted, I jumped up and left.” 

“ Well, my lady,” said the man, “you took me by sur- 
prise ; and I was still more astonished to see that you 
had forgotten your lameness. Compelled to follow your 
example, my crutch was of no use, any further than to 
enable me to keep up with you. I have no doubt they 
consider us two most remarkable beings, judging from 
our droll appearance and strange conduct.” 

“Well, I suppose they do, Thomas,” said the lady; 


woman’s endurance. 


199 


“and it may be a long* time before they will have any 
explanation from me, for Providence sometimes moves 
slow ; but I am not doubtful of the result. Although 
the present state of things may appear dark and mys- 
terious to them, yet eventually the truth and justice of 
God shall shine forth as the light.” 

“ But, my lady,” said the man, “ what if the Captain 
and Mrs. Walters should be both dead and in their 
graves, before these great results that you look for are 
realized — what good will it do them ?” 

“ Well, Thomas,” said she, “if there were no hereafter, 
they alone might be the sufferers, and without the least 
chance of enjoying any compensation ; but the clearest 
and brightest display of results is reserved for a more 
lilting- place, and a more appropriate season, and where 
tlie innocent and the guilty will be far more capable of 
appreciating the blessings they^joy, or the evils they 
endure.” 

“Well, my lady,” said the many “not knowing the 
object you have in view, of course I am not able to give 
an opinion as to the propriety of your present proceed- 
ings ; but I am satisfied in my own mind of your pru- 
dence and the soundness of your judgment. Prom this 
persuasion, I have no doubt that if I could see things in 
all their bearings as I suppose you see themj I should 
act just as you do.” 

“ Thomas, the views and feelings you have expressed 
are right,” said the lady ; “ for, from your knowledge of 
me you conclude that I act from just principles, although 
you are not able to look through my present actions 
to the far-off results that I contemplate. The proceed- 
ings of Providence are frequently dark and mysterious, 


200 


LILLIAN; OR, 


and often involve the innocent and the virtuous in laby- 
rinths of sorrow and distress, from which the sulierer 
can see no possible way of extricating himself. In 
such cases, would it not be wise to say, with hum- 
ble resignation to the stern necessities of the moment, 
‘ It is the Lord, let Him do as seemeth wise or good 
in His sight and then to ask for patience to for- 
tify the soul, that it may, without a murmur, wait the 
full developments that Heaven contemplates. Thus, 
whether Captain or Mrs. Walters, or you, or even I my- 
self, live or die, and though hand join in hand against 
it, the will of God will and must be vindicated, though 
it were necessary that He should use the entire universe 
as agents to accomplish His purposes. In fact, Thomas, 
the state and circumstances of man in this world are ill- 
adapted for the full apportionment of rewards to virtue 
or punishment to vice. We see men, pure and holy 
though they be, become the victims and the sport of bad 
men, who plague, distress, and torment them, throughout 
the whole course of their earthly existence. These, 
without a higher state, could have no compensation for 
their sufferings. Reason, and all the better impulses 
of our nature, revolt at such an idea. It is in strict 
accordance with the highest and purest aspirations of 
the best and noblest minds, that there will be a loftier 
and wider sphere, where the now latent powers, and the 
clipped wings of maffs higher nature, will be brought 
out and let loose amidst a boundless range of untold 
delights. And then, earthly courts cannot apportion 
punishment to crime. A man, if guilty of taking the life 
of one of his fellow-men, may pay the forfeit of his life 
for the crime ; he can lose no more from earthly justice 


woman’s endurance, 


201 


if he takes the lives of a hundred. But it may be ex- 
pected to be far otherwise in the punishments inflicted 
by infinite justice, at the bar of God, where duration 
can be added to intensity of suffering. It may appear 
strange to us, that there are men who would try to per- 
suade us that there is a universe without law, or a law 
without penalty. 

“ But now, Thomas, I wish to start early in the morn- 
ing on our journey homeward, and of course you will 
strictly observe your usual silence and secrecy as to 
where we have been, or any of our doings — so, good- 
night.” 



9 * 


202 


LILLIAN; OR, 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

A FEW days after the appearance of the strange man 
and woman at the residence of Captain Walters, Mr. 
Le Clair again gave them a call, on returning from his 
mission to a tribe of Indians located near the shore of 
Rice Lake. It might have been supposed, from the very 
familiar way in which he introduced himself, and the 
equally hearty reception that was given to him, by both 
Captain and Mrs. Walters, that they had been friends of 
long standing. The address of both was easy and cor- 
dial, without the most distant approach to formality. 
Whether they sat enjoying themselves in a colloquial 
way in the house ; or without, in surveying the great im- 
provements by which the Captain had in so short a time 
made such a transformation in his surroundings ; or 
ascended the little eminence close by, which afforded a 
view of a wide expanse of Lake Ontario ; or contem- 
plated the dark woods in the rear of their house — either 
of these themes was sufficient to put in requisition those 
fine conversational powers with which they were blessed. 
And then they mutually took great pleasure in survey- 
ing the beauties of nature ; and few localities could 
have been selected where such an assemblage of beau- 
ties were to be seen. 

So very pleasant and agreeable was the companion- 
ship of these choice spirits, that they made the most 


woman’s endueance. 


203 


of the high intellectual treat thus afforded them. As it 
was now Saturday afternoon, but little persuasion was 
found necessary to induce Mr. Le Clair to prolong his 
stay until Monday morning. After the toils of the week, 
the preparations for their evening’s devotions w-ere at- 
tended to with a proper and becoming spirit. The Sat- 
urday night’s gathering of the domestic circle was usu 
ally one of peculiar interest and enjoyment, and, accord- 
ing to their designation, emphatically the preparation of 
the Sabbath. This was an entirely new thing to Mr. 
Le Clair, and it might have been supposed, judging from 
his strict Catholic education, and, indeed, from all his 
previous life and associations, that there would be a little 
reluctance evinced on his part to joining such exercises. 
But, as there was no alternative, without a violation of 
good manners, he acquiesced rather than concurred, — 
keeping his attention fully directed, however, to every 
thing done, and the utterance of every sentiment. The 
Captain was a little nervous, feeling that his Christianity 
was on trial, not only before a keen judge, but a death- 
less spirit, that might hear on that night for either weal 
or woe. And his heart was all aglow — not with any 
exhibition of rant or wildfire, but with a spirit of devo- 
tion, kindled up by flashes of fire, as it were from the 
very altar of God. And soon this was felt by, and even 
actuated every spiritual worshipper there, for there was 
freedom of spirit and softening of hearts. It might 
have been seen that there was already a strong conflict 
going on within Mr. Le Clair — between his heart, his in- 
tellect, and his strong will ; which, though he restrained 
himself, and observed rather an awkward silence, was 
evinced more plainly by his manner than it could have 


20 ^ 


LILLIAN; OR, 


been by words. The services of the evening’ closed, 
and each one retired to rest, without eliciting from Mr. 
Le Clair a syllable as to the estimate he had formed of 
this to him novel proceeding. He found, however, on 
his retirement to the silence of his own room, and when 
left to his own undisturbed reflections, that the impres- 
sions on his mind were deep, but at the same time quite 
undefinable. Entirely new developments of his inner 
nature seemed opened up to his view, of the existence 
of which until now he had been utterly unconscious. 
He now saw and felt that he occupied an entirely new 
position — to himself, to his God, and to the world : that 
the whole of his life had been little better than that of 
a visionary dreamer. His heart was troubled with con- 
victions of his responsibilities, and his soul smitten with 
overwhelming thoughts of its utter barrenness of the 
appropriate fruits now demanded, and dread of the con- 
sequences, if the enactments of the divine law against 
the transgressor should be put in execution. These dis- 
tracting and bewildering thoughts drove sleep from his 
eyes, peace from his mind, and rest from his body. Thus 
he passed the night in a state of great disquietude, for 
which neither his former views of religion nor the 
maxims of his philosophy, furnished a remedy. It was 
the conflict of a strong mind grappling with mighty 
truths. But, the combatants were unequal, for his heart 
eventually succumbed to the superior power, and he 
fell as one slain by the Spirit of God. 

The next day, the Sabbath, dawned clear and bright, 
though there had been some heavy gusts of wind and 
a shower of rain during the night. And in keeping with 
this outward appearance of things, the dwellers in that 


205 


woman’s endurance. 

habitation still retained the spiritual fervor acquired on 
the previous evening. This was evinced at very early 
dawn, by the songs chanted by the melodious voices of 
the women, while employed in their domestic avoca- 
tions ; and the men at their necessary labor of feeding 
and attending to the horses and cattle, made the neigh- 
boring woods ring while singing the praises of their 
God and Father. 

When the mind and body are in possession of ordi- 
nary health and vigor, even the preacher of the gospel 
may go through the labors of his sacred office on the 
Sabbath in a kind of cold, professional, routine way ; 
but when health is failing, and death, looming up in the 
distance, is approaching with certain and rapid strides, 
it gives earnestness of manner and unwonted pathos to 
the preacher in the enunciation of truth. This was 
especially the case with Captain Walters on this highly 
interesting and memorable Sabbath. Indeed there was 
a combination of circumstances and influences that 
tended to increase and intensify this feeling, and give 
his mind unusual fervor. His was at all times an active 
mind ; but on this day it might have been seen, to use 
an apt figure, that “ the sword was far too keen for the 
scabbard.” 

The Captain had been impressed with feelings of 
sanctified delight, within the past few days, on observing 
the power of divine truth over the hearts of some of the 
rough, uncultivated beings who have already passed 
before us. And now he gathered from the unmistakable 
manner of Mr. Le Clair that deep impressions had been 
made on his mind, although he had not, by the utter- 
ance of a word, alluded to the subject. But it was evi- 


206 


LILLIAN; OR, 


dent that he was nursing* his grief, and that the barbed 
arrows of the Almighty were rankling in his heart. 
The Captain had been so blessed on the night before, 
and had received such clear evidence of the Divine favor, 
that now, on this beautiful Sabbath morning, his assur- 
ance of the smiles of God was without a cloud to disturb 
his serenity. Thus prepared, with his work before him, 
and his armor all bright and ready for the contest, diffi- 
culties vanished before him like the mist receding before 
the piercing rays of the sun. He was serious without 
being morose, and cheerful without being frivolous ; for 
there was Christian joy in his heart which smoothed his 
spirit, illuminated his countenance, and dictated all his 
words. How fully he exemplified, on that morning, the 
spirit and disposition of his divine Master ! And again, 
when the hour of their morning family devotion arrived, 
they had still further evidence that the resources of 
divine love had not been exhausted by the abundant 
blessings they had received on the previous evening ; 
and this was felt by each in the speechless awe fhat 
pervaded every mind present. 

When the time of public service arrived, the large 
room that had been fitted up for the purpose was now 
filled by an orderly company of men, women, and chil- 
dren, — so thorough had been the reformation of manners 
through the neighborhood, the gospel having brought 
within its benign influence almost every member of 
every household. Here it was made evident that the 
gospel has a moral moulding force, far surpassing in its 
prompt and direct action the best-devised edupational 
system, and the most stringently enforced police laws. 

A good part of the company now before us were under 


woman’s endurance. 


207 


the influence of their first love, for they listened to the 
word spoken with such fixedness of attention that every 
word seemed to tell, as it met with a hearty response, — 
though this was evidenced rather by manner than by 
words. Even the hardest sinner there gave clear evi- 
dence that his heart was not altogether without suscep- 
tibility — some little spot where the good seed might 
germinate, however much he struggled to smother his 
convictions, and thus involve himself in a more serious 
responsibility by quenching the Spirit. 

At the close of this day, on which the arm of the God 
of Israel had been so signally made bare, and quite a 
number brought within the consecrated circle of divine 
influence, all acknowledged that it had been as one of 
the days of the Son of Man with power 

But not the least interesting case was that of Mr. Le 
Clair, who had come merely as a casual visitor, had par- 
taken of the hospitalities of Captain Walters and his 
wife, and, with more than ordinary relish, enjoyed some 
hours of social intercourse. But all this was as naught 
to the discoveries that had now been unfolded before his 
awakened conscience, and those whelming influences 
which had swept before them as cobwebs his long- 
cherished opinions, and even broken up the deep caverns 
of his heart, and probed all the profounder recesses of 
his soul, so that things long buried there and forgotten 
were thrown up to the surface, and there exposed before 
him in all their sad and hideous deformity ; while, to 
give a still deeper shade to this dark picture, the con- 
trast was presented to his startled soul of the enact- 
ments of the divine law of God, that requires truth and 
purity in the heart, and strict righteousness in the whole 


208 


LILLIAN; OR, 


conduct. In this state of utter consternation, looking 
around him for some support, some refuge, some conso- 
lation, and finding none, he cried out in the bitterness of 
his spirit, “ Oh ! wretched man that I am, who shall de- 
liver me from this body of sin and death 

It was well for him that there were not those present 
who would have imposed on him the performance of 
some penance, the endurance of some severe bodily 
pain, as a remedy for his spiritual diseases and mental 
ajfflictions. But happy indeed was it for him that there 
were those there who were able and willing to point 
him to the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the 
world, whom, by simple faith in His merits and atoning 
sacrifice, he would find an all-sufficient Saviour, ready 
to meet his every requirement. And so it proved ; for, 
although it was difficult for him fully to comprehend 
at first the simplicity of saving faith, still, when he got 
a glimpse of the Redeemer as having fulfilled the de- 
mands of the divine law by dying in his stead, and saw 
that through the shedding of His precious blood the sin- 
ner might go free, he grasped at the idea as if in despe- 
ration, and at that instant light broke upon his mind, 
and divine love filled his soul — he was indeed a new 
man. Now he breathed in a higher, purer moral atmos- 
phere ; new and nobler thoughts struck athwart his 
brain ; strange emotions swayed his soul ; feelings full 
and strong welled up from the deep fountains of his 
heart, and his tongue became eloquent with praise. 

But the labors of this day proved too much for the en- 
feebled and exhausted frame of Captain Walters. It is 
true, his joy was full, but his physical strength was not 
equal to the demands of the spirit. He therefore found 


woman’s endurance. 


209 


it necessary to retire early to bed. But even when 
there, the activity of his mind drove sleep from his eyes, 
and he passed a weary and restle.ss night. And it was 
not till his mind had attained its ordinary composure, 
that rest came to his wearied frame. Thus it is evident 
that any unusual, long-continued strain upon our spir- 
itual susceptibilities must be at the expense of our phys- 
ical force. 

During the prostration of the Captain’s physical 
strength, his wife proved herself indeed a Iministering 
angel. So attentive was she to his least want or faint- 
est desire, that no mother could have hovered over the 
priceless object of her affections with more yearning of 
soul ; and unbounded was her delight when, after a few 
days of quiet and rest, accompanied by her own assidu- 
ous attentions, he appeared to be fully restored to his 
wonted strength, and to give flattering indications of 
returning permanent health. 

When Monday morning arrived, Mr. Le Clair, having 
irap'ortant business on hand which required dispatch, felt 
it his duty to depart ; but strong ties now bound his 
heart to the spot where he had so unexpectedly become 
possessed of hitherto unknown joys. He appeared to 
linger in a state of painful suspense ; nor was it without 
a strong effort that he finally tore himself away from 
the place, accompanying his farewell with an expression 
of gratitude, and that he must be permitted often to 
call and see his spiritual father and mother, and the 
place of his second birth — a place that must ever be 
dear to him while memory remained. 


210 


LILLIAN; OR, 


CHAPTER XIX. 

A FEW weeks after the circumstances occurred as 
narrated above, an event transpired which we riust 
state, as it will so clearly portray the frame of mind of 
Captain Walters, and the correct moral principles on 
which he acted, and how strongly the love of God and 
man swayed his heart and regulated his whole conduct. 

In the Concession, where the Captain had fixed his 
residence, there was a family who had recently arrived 
from England. The husband and father of this family 
was apparently above the common average of men of 
his class, in endowments of mind and general intelli- 
gence ; and he was at once prudent, sober, and highly 
industrious. But his wife was not at all adapted for a 
rough-and-tumble strife with the world. With a weak, 
diminutive body, and a more imbecile mind, she was by 
no means a meet companion for her husband. And then 
she was of a remarkably cold temperament, conse- 
quently heartless and selfish, and unappreciative of any 
tenderness or kindness shown to her. Her habits, in 
her domestic relations, were not those that became a 
wife and a mother. She was improvident and thriftless, 
knowing not the value of moriey. She seemed not to 
feel the importance of instilling the principles of truth 
and right into the minds of her offspring, and this was a 
source of continual disquietude to her partner. And not 


woman’s endurance. 


211 


only was sho thus deficient in mental, moral, and ph3^s- 
ical qualities, which had a direct tendency to counter- 
act the influence of her husband, who was especially de- 
sirous to .maintain a standing in society ; but there was 
a still greater evil superadded, the source of pungent 
sorrow and heart-consuming grief — she was a confirmed 
inebriate. She was equally deaf to remonstrance, 
threats, persuasion, or entreaties. 

Thus, not having the co-operation and support of his 
wife, this afflicted man flagged in his efforts to rise in 
the world ; and under the pressure of these untoward 
influences and circumstances, was fast making his way 
with gray hairs and sorrow to the grave. But he wished 
to make an effort, before his death, to place his children, 
if possible, under a more healthful moral atmosphere, as 
he had an interesting family of three daughters and one 
son. At the earnest request of the father, Mrs. Walters 
had taken the eldest daughter, that she might, as he 
said, have an opportunity of learning something that 
would qualify her for filling some useful position in life. 
Her name was Elizabeth, but she was always called by 
that of Betsey. She was a girl of some pretensions to 
beauty, but had inherited from her mother one dangerous 
weakness — an empty pride, that exhibited itself in in- 
ordinate fondness of dress and show. This had been 
the cause of great anxiety to her father, and he desired 
that Mrs. Walters would do her best to restrain this 
baneful propensity. 

Betsey was remarkable for a lively and active spirit. 
Her disposition was one of the best, for she neither 
thought nor said evil of any one ; and never returned 
evil for evil, however ill or harshly she might have been 


212 


LILLIAN; OR, 


treated by tliem. Her ringing, merry laugh, and native 
wit, spread sunshine wherever she was. Hence, she 
soon became a general favorite with the family, and 
with all who knew her. It was Betsey here, and Betsey 
there, and with light heart and nimble foot did she 
respond to every call. She would often exclaim : “ Dear 
me, I Avonder what would be done if you had no Betsey 
to call upon !” She was remarkably clean in her per- 
son, and particular in her dress ; every pin was attended 
to, and every string properly tied. Such was the con- 
tidence placed in her fidelity, that distrust or .doubt was 
never thought of in connection with Betsey. In this 
way, the domestic affairs of the house went on smoothly 
and regularly, without jar or discord. But, in the course 
of time, a little trinket or two were missing from the 
place of safe-keeping, where they had been put by Mrs. 
Walters. Then another, and still another disappeared. 
This caused much talk and no little flutter among the 
members of the household. Mrs. Walters had often 
spoken of the thing to the Captain, and received from 
him a strict injunction to say as little about it in the 
house as possible, but to leave the management of the 
whole thing in his hands. 

The Captain was, from first to last, perfectly silent on 
the subject, but always on the alert. He thought that 
he saAv a great change in the spirit and manner of Bet- 
sey ; for instead of being- livety and merry, she had 
become mopish and taciturn. She was pettish in her 
conduct, and pert in her words to all around her. From 
being prim and neat in her dress, she had become care- 
less and slatternly ; and her fine head of dark-brown 
hair, that had always been tastefully done up, was now 


woman’s endurance. 


213 


left loose and tangled. And then there was an evident 
sign of guilt in her countenance ; for she could no longer, 
as had been her wont, look with the steady and fearless 
gaze of innocence in the face of one with whom she was 
talking. All this had not escaped the scrutinizing eye 
of the Captain, who judged, and judged rightly, that 
there must be a cause for all this change in Betsey. 
But still, he was at a loss as to the best mode of pro- 
cedure under the circumstances ; knowing well, that if 
questioned about the missing articles, she would deny 
all knowledge of them. At length he formed his plan of 
operations, and the result will show that it was no less 
the dictate of prudence than' of mercy. Looking out for 
a favorable opportunity of having a word with Betsey in 
private, it was not long before it offered itself ; and 
going close up to her, he said in a quiet, calm way — 
“Betsey, I want to have a word with you — come 
along with me.” 

Betsey, it was evident, was greatly alarmed ; but, 
assuming the tone and manner of over-done confidence, 
said in a pert way — 

“ What do you want with me ?” 

The Captain, without appearing to notice her embar- 
rassment, said in a more commanding way, and in a 
firmer tone — 

“Betsey, come this way.” 

She promptly obeyed the summons, and moving in a 
dogged way, followed him into her own room. On their 
arrival there, the Captain locked the door, putting the 
key in his pocket ; and then turning to her, he said — 

“ Betsey, I want to look in your trunk ; let me have 
the key.” 


214 


LILLIAN;’ OR 


Betsey, with a face of crimson hue, her eyes flashing 
with passion, her lips quivering, and all her frame trem- 
bling with rage, said — 

“No, indeed; no person shall look into my trunk. 
What do you want with my trunk ? There is nothing 
in, it belonging to you ; and if there is, I have hot put it 
there.” 

All this outburst of fury was met with calm and cool 
resolution on the part of the Captain, who said, without 
the least movement of a muscle of his face — 

“ Betsey, I demand your key ; or, if you refuse to 
give it to me, I will break it open myself at the same 
time taking out of his pocket a hammer, a pair of pin- 
cers, and a stout chisel. 

At the sight of these implements Betsey quailed, and 
stood confounded before him, but drew the key from her 
pocket and handed it to him ; at the same time most 
strenuously declaring, that if there was any thing 
therein belonging to him, it must have been put there 
by some one else. 

The Captain heeded not a word she said, but delibe- 
rately unlocked the trunk ; when, lo and behold I stowed 
away in different parts, were all the lost articles, 
wrapped up in bits of rags. Among them was a num- 
ber of valuable trinket presents, that had been given to 
Mrs. Walters in her young days, and which were prized 
by her above all money value. All were brought out of 
the trunk, and laid upon the table before Betsey, ’wtio 
was still stout in protestations of her own innocence, 
charging the crime to some other person. But the Cap- ' 
tain, pointing to the things on the table, and looking 
Betsey steadily in the face, said — 


woman’s endukance. 


215 


“Now, Betsey, I suppose you expect that I will senl 
lor an officer of justice to take you to jail, and have you 
tried for this very grave offence, the penalty for which 
would be a long imprisonment ; but no, Betsey, I will 
not do this, I will not so expose you. If I do not send 
you to jail, I suppose you conclude that I will send you 
home to your father and mother, with my reasons for 
such a step. That might prove the means of breaking 
their hearts, and bringing down their gray hairs with 
sorrow to the grave. No, Betsey, I will not do this. 
But, if I am thus lenient, you cannot but expect that I 
will by all means inform Mrs. Walters. And then, of 
course, all in the house must know about this, that all 
suspicion may be removed from them, and placed where 
it rightfully belongs. But no,’’ said the Captain, “ this 
is between you and me, and shall ever remain so ; I will 
not expose you, Betsey.” 

At the utterance of these words Betsey showed evi- 
dent signs of relenting ; when the Captain taking a 
neatly bound Testament from his pocket, presented it to 
her, saying — 

“Betsey, I have learned the sentiments that have 
prompted my conduct from this Book. Take you this 
and read it, and treasure up its truths in your heart ; 
and in all your future days regulate your conduct by its 
precepts ; and you will then be kept from the power of 
temptation, and forever free from any fear of exposure.” 

All this was spoken with so much feeling, and with 
such deep sympathy for the erring girl before him, that 
her heart was softened, and her stubbornness vanished. 
He had won on her better nature ; her pent up feelings 
burst forth, and a copious flow of tears came to her 


216 


LILLIAN; OR, 


relief, and, falling down before him, she clasped his 
knees in her arms, and with an agony of soul cried 
out — 

“ Oh, Captain Walters, you have saved me from ruin. 
My father, my more than father, how can I ever repay 
you for all this ?” 

The Captain very tenderly raised her from her knees, 
and told her that she should thank God and not him. 
All, he said, he should exact of her was, that she should 
keep her own counsel, and replace every article where 
she found it. Before he left the room he prayed with 
and for her ; and then unlocking the door, he left her to 
her own meditations. Agreeable to his directions, every 
article that had been so mysteriously taken away, was 
silently and secretly deposited in the places from which 
they had been taken, to the astonishment of every mem- 
ber of the family. And this was often spoken of by Mrs. 
Walters to her husband, but he himself observed the 
strict secrecy he had imposed on Betsey. 

After the occurrence of the above circumstances, it 
was really astonishing to see the transformation in the 
appearance and general behavior of Betsey. She had 
not been restored to that buoyant hilarity that so strong- 
ly marked her character when she was first introduced 
to our notice ; there was not that hearty, ringing laugh, 
that gave token of the innocent and light-minded girl. 
But she had now entirely lost that guilty look, that 
sideward glancing of the eye, when spoken to. Her 
dress gave evidence of more thoughtful care, without 
any of the show-off air that had been so noticeable be- 
fore. Yet there was nolhing of the prim and precise 
prude about her ; every thing was easy, steady, and 


woman’s endurance. 217 

natural — she had become so womanly, so thoughtful, 
and even graceful. And when there was any thing of 
a pleasing nature introduced, her intelligent face was 
immediately lighted up by a smile as sweet as it was 
natural. And then she moved about the house with so 
noiseless a tread, and every department of her duty was 
performed in so satisfactory a way, that she elicited 
praise from every one. At the least intimation given 
by the Captain of a wish or a want, Betsey flew, as it 
were, to its performance. But while she was thus 
prompt, there was care observed, as if nothing could be 
done too well for Captain Walters. Indeed, she was so 
completely controlled by the desire to serve and gratify 
him, that if she thought he had any unexpressed wish, 
it was a source of pain to her. This change was a 
subject of wonder and remark to all in the house ; but 
they knew not the secret spring of action that moved so 
sweetly the grateful heart of Betsey. In her feelings 
and expressions of sorrow she was only second to Mrs. 
Walters herself, as she saw the daily, and indeed hourly 
waning health and strength of the Captain. This proved 
a strong tie between Mrs. Walters and Betsey, for the 
former could not be insensible to conduct exhibiting so 
strongly a desire to serve him who was the chief object 
of her own love and solicitude. And such was the con- 
fidence with which she had inspired the heart of Mrs. 
Walters, that the latter always felt easy in her mind 
when she knew that Betsey was within hailing distance 
of her husband. What tended to raise still higher her 
appreciation of Betsey’s worth as a tender nurse, was 
that on several occasions of late, when, on gently open- 
ing the door which opened into her husband’s room, she 
10 


218 


LILLIAN; OR, 


bad observed Betsey on her knees, deeply engag-ed with 
the Captain in an act of devotion. Betsey was at once 
tireless and sleepless in her attentions to the Captain, 
for it mattered not whether it was night or day, when 
there was a demand for her services, she was ever at 
hand. 

Fortunate indeed was it for Mrs. Walters that she 
had such an assistant in this time of her sore affliction, 
feeling as she did that she was about to be left lonely 
in the world, and cut off as it were from civilization. 
There was not in the world, so far as she knew, a single 
individual with whom she could claim kindred. No 
wonder if at times she was sad and melancholy. But 
her husband’s mind was calm and serene, so far had the 
grace of God gained the control of his soul. However, 
he still felt, and felt deeply, for his wife. Knowing 
that he was about to leave her a widow indeed, and 
lonely in the wide, wide world, he endeavored, feelingly 
and affectionately, to soothe her sorrow. With perspi- 
cuity and force he often adduced those precious prom- 
ises suited to her case. Sorrowful and sad as she might 
be on her own account, she could not but rejoice on be- 
half of her husband, seeing him so confident in Jeshu- 
run’s covenant-keeping God. » 

It was now nearly the close of the winter season, and 
at times, such was the flattering appearance of the dis- 
ease of Captain Walters, they were led to hope that, on 
the arrival of the warm and inspiriting weather of 
spring, he might rally, as he was yet comparatively 
young. But as often were these flattering and decep- 
tive expectations cut off by a relapse that generally left 
him still weaker. The hectic flush on his cheek, and 


woman’s ei5"durance. 


219 


the lar^e, clear, but glassy eye, told all too plainly that 
the destroyer was pursuing his track with undeviating 
and unfaltering step. But still he lingered on and on. 
The balmy breezes of spring and the enlivening warmth 
of the vernal sun exerted their magic influences over the 
face of nature, inviting the feathered wanderers to re- 
turn from the too ardent south ; inducing the various 
chrysalids to open their prison-doors, and send forth 
their gaudy, spangled inmates, to give variety and 
beauty to the scene ; and more than all, renewing the 
glories of the vegetable world : but all these were pow- 
erless to allure or bribe from his purpose the foe that 
was preying upon the vitals of Captain Walters. 

It may be supposed that, under the circumstances, the 
immediate family of Captain Walters were not the only 
ones who felt a deep anxiety on his behalf. No. He 
had been the chief instrument, under God, of a move- 
ment of no ordinary magnitude and importance, and 
which had been the means of associating him with the 
destiny of the deathless spirits of some of those who re- 
sided in the neighborhood. And it would be no wonder, 
then, to find that many and anxious were the inquiries 
daily njade regarding his health, and that numerous and 
fervent were the prayers continually ascending to the 
throne of grace for him and his. It was not that they, 
in their beneficence, had clothed the naked and fed the 
hungry, or visited the sick and suffering in their cabins, 
though this had been done ; but that they had been in- 
strumental, in the hand of God, in bringing them to the 
knowledge of salvation through the blood of ihe Lamb, 
and of putting them in possession of the peace of God 
that passeth understanding. These people, so lately 


220 


LILLtAN; OR, 


immersed in semi-barbarism, were now so far humanized 
that their hearts were ready to break at the thought of 
losing by death him whom they could call father in the 
Lord. And their sympathies were not the mere expres- 
sions of their lips, but were evidenced by the presenta- 
tion of many little trifles — not of much worth in them- 
selves, but of value as showing a disposition in the 
giver, that said in the very act, I would do more if I 
could. But neither the affection of a tender-hearted wife, 
the ever-ready assiduities of the members of his own 
family, nor the prayers, sympathy, and ardent solicitude 
of their neighbors, could stay the onward march of the 
foe, for nearer, and still nearer, he comes. 

On a day in the early part of June, when all nature 
was dressed in her gayest attire, radiant with beauty 
and teeming with life on every hand, the carriage of 
Mr. Le Clair was driven into the yard. On entering 
the residence of Mr. Walters, what a contrast to the 
outside appearance of things, as he had just viewed 
them, is presented I There every thing is bright and 
joyous : here there is sadness on every face, and every 
tongue is held as by the very spirit of silence ; and who- 
ever he speaks to responds in a low whisper, and all 
seem as though afraid of hearing the sound of their own 
footfall. 

Mr. Le Clair was introduced into the room of the 
dying man of God, and found him with his faculties 
ill full vigor, his soul all aglow with love to God, and 
his confidence strong in His promise that He would 
support him while passing through the dark valley of 
death. He informed Mr. Le Clair that he had selected 
him to assist in the last sad duties required for the dead, 


woman’s endurance. 


221 


and trusted he would see that his remains were depos- 
ited in the little mound he had himself selected, and 
where he had superintended the planting of a number of 
young trees that in time would grow up and form a 
shade over the resting-place of all that remained on earth 
of Robert Walters. And those green trees would be all 
the monument he desired to be raised to his memory. 

Except the monuments that have been raised in 
many a human heart,” said Mr. Le Clair, “ and cemented 
by tears of true and sincere affection, that will be more 
durable and of higher estimation than tablets of marble 
or brass.” 

At this Captain Walters said, with a pleasing smile 
lighting up his noble and intellectual face — “ Not unto 
us, 0 Lord I but unto Thy name be all the praise.” 

The Captain continued, with ebbs and flows of feeling, 
sometimes reviving, and then again subsiding from very 
weakness, when his words were few and his voice feeble. 
But, with what little strength he had, his words were 
full of fervor, and his visions of glory clear and beauti- 
ful ; for his spirit was fully ripe for association with the 
blessed. 

The best criterion, perhaps, by which to judge of the 
esteem in which a man has been held in life, is by the 
numbers who attend his funeral, and especially when 
that attendance is associated with the deep sympathies 
of their hearts. If this be true, never was man more 
highly esteemed than in the instance before us, for if 
every mother there had lost the darling of her heart, 
and every father his first-born, their sorrow could not 
have been more deep or general than it was at the fu- 
neral of Captain Walters. 


222 


LILLIAN; OR 


The scene beggars all description, for the requiem 
there chanted was the wailings of riven hearts, and the 
ritpal rehearsed was the sobs of pure affection. But 
chief among the mourners was Mrs. Walters and Betsey. 
The contrast presented by these two was so strongly 
marked as to be noticed by a number of persons. While 
the sorrow of Mrs. Walters was evinced by deep emo- 
tion, there was yet a strong controlling power that held 
a tight rein upon her feelings ; and then she mourned 
as one not without hope. But, on the part of Betsey, 
there was a wild abandonment to feeling that was 
alarming, and it seemed as if coercion might be re- 
quired to get her from the coflSn. Indeed, many thought 
her reason was dethroned, for, in the bewilderment of 
her frenzy she cried out — 

“ Oh, he saved me from ruin, my more than father I 
How can I part with him, my best, my very best friend I 
What should I have been but for him 

This was considered by the lookers on as the wild 
ravings of a maniac ; but still, it was treasured up in the 
memory of more than one of those who were present. 
Poor little Baptiste exhibited somewhat of the keen 
sensibility of a woman, by the pungency of his sorrow, 
and the abundant flow of his tears. And the two trusty 
men who had been the stalwart companions in arms of 
Captain Walters, Jones and Brown, stood like two 
statues beside the coffin ; but they were swayed by 
deep inward sorrow, though with less outward manifes- 
tation. But their wives and their two little children 
were quite obstreperous under their sad bereavement. 
A fine specimen of dignity and manly sorrow, there 
stood Mr. Le Clair, and perhaps no opportunity could 


woman’s endurance. 223 

have been given to show the genuine firmness of the 
Indian character like the present. All the characteris- 
tics of the two nations from which he derived his origin 
were strongly portrayed in him — there was a ready and 
pleasing affability softening the sterner sadness of the 
moment. 

Keen and deep as was the sorrow of all present, there 
was a stern necessity for terminating this scene, for the 
shades of evening began to notify them that time was 
moving onward ; and when the last kiss was imprinted 
on that fair and noble forehead by his stricken-hearted 
widow, the remains were forever closed to the contem- 
plation of human eyes, and solemnly conveyed to their 
last resting-place, a spot which had been selected, as 
has been already noticed, by the Captain himself, and 
one of surpassing beauty — a mound of considerable ele- 
vation, supposed to have been the burial-place of some 
ancient tribe of Indians. Besides being a place strougl}’^ 
marked by nature, it had been further ornamented by 
the planting of a choice selection of young trees, that 
would eventually add greatly to the picturesque beauty 
of the spot. There rests, in that ancient mound, the 
ashes of the late Captain Robert Walters, and there they 
will remain until the trump of the angel of God shall 
call them forth, to join in the glories of the first resur- 
rection. 

Right faithfully and delicately. had Mr. Le Clair car- 
ried out the wishes and injunctions of his late friend, 
and after offering his condolence, and giving his advice 
on some subjects that had been submitted to his judg- 
ment by Mrs. Walters, he departed to attend to the 
transaction of business connected with his own affairs 


224 


L I L L t A N ; OR 


But before his departure a promise was given, and with 
mournful pleasure responded to, that he would occa- 
sionally call, and thus keep up the friendship that had 
been formed under more pleasing auspices. At the 
same time, Mr. Le Clair said that should any emergency 
arise in which she might need the advice or assistance 
of a friend, it would always afford him high gratification 
to serve her. 





woman’s EI^DURANCE. 


225 


CHAPTER XX. 

Deep, wide, and long-enduring was the chasm that 
had been made in that once happy family circle. That 
significant old Saxon term house-bond well expresses the 
close relationship, the strong controlling tie that binds 
the household together — the man at the head of the 
family, the husband. When he is removed by death, or 
otherwise, the family union is in a good degree dis- 
rupted, and is often subjected to disintegration. That 
this was not the case with the family circle of the late 
Captain Walters, was owing to the strong mind and 
controlling influence of Mrs. Walters. She had clearness 
of perception to see her proper woman’s sphere, and 
strength of will to enable her to meet all the demands of 
her responsible position. She now found that the do- 
mestic knowledge she had acquired under the tuition of 
the skilful and prbdent Mrs. Baldwin, might be put in 
requisition with the best effects. What she had often 
said was now verified — that there was a providence in 
her having been so mysteriously thrown into the com- 
pany of that estimable lady. And it was with no small 
profit to herself, and to her family, that she had so closely 
studied the precepts of poor Richard, and stored up in 
her memory and reduced to practice the numerous reci- 
pes so carefully written out for her by Mrs. Baldwin. 
She showed herself, indeed, by her aptitude and her 
10 * 


226 


LILLIAN; OR, 


ability to accommodate herself to circumstances, a su- 
perior manager of a farm-house. And then she had such 
nerve and such mental energy, and had so increased her 
muscular force, that she was placed far in advance of 
those puny females who are startled by every breath of 
cold air, or shrink from a storm that might reach their 
dainty persons or ruffle their dress. Yet, with all this, 
there was nothing coarse, or rough, or masculiue in her 
appearance or manner. No ! there was associated with 
the busy and thrifty housewife, the high polish of a cul- 
tivated taste, and the amiability of disposition of a Chris- 
tian lady. And while she bore herself with dignity, from 
an innate sense of self-respect, yet she would listen kindly 
to the plaint of sorrow or the tale of woe, when uttered 
by the humble and the poor ; and her hand was ever 
ready to obey the dictates of her compassionate heart. 

Under her able management, all the plans and contem- 
plated improvements of her late husband were prose- 
cuted and consummated with becoming vigor — giving 
employment to a number of poor but industrious men, 
and thus sustaining their dependent families. And such 
was the willing deference paid to her, that she had only 
to indicate a wish, to meet with a ready and swift com- 
pliance. Some minds are so peculiarly fitted to rule, 
that without apparently exercising authority, they bend 
all wills to their purposes. So it was with Mrs. Wal- 
ters ; and hence it may be supposed that things moved 
on smoothly, with little friction, both within-doors and 
on the farm. Carrying out. the intentions of her late 
husband, one hundred acres of the bush were cut down 
by the opening of spring, and all ready to be burned ofi‘ 
at the first spell of fine weather. 


woman’s endurance. 


•227 


An event of no small moment now occurred in the 
family — the sickness and death of Betsey, and this under 
very remarkable and exciting circumstances. After the 
death of Captain Walters, there appeared to be deep 
and undefinable effects left upon her mind. She seemed 
to be brooding over some inward sorrow, other than that 
occasioned by the death of Captain Walters. The minds 
of Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Jones had become possessed of 
very strange notions from the wild manner and inco- 
herent expressions that she let fall at the funeral. In 
about three months after that event, she was seized with 
violent typhoid, apparently the effects of the deep sorrow 
that overwhelmed her, which soon reduced her to a state 
of childlike helplessness, and disturbed the balance of 
her mind. During this state of mental aberration, she 
would start as if seized with excessive terror, and cry 
out — 

“ Yes, it was I who stole them — I took every one of 
them I” 

She would then subside, and remain for a short time 
in a state of stupor ; and then again shriek out — 

“ It was the devil prompted me ; he helped me to take 
them, and my own wicked heart said, ‘ Yes, take them T 
Oh I I was foolish and wicked I” 

After this, in a calm manner, and with a subdued tone 
of voice, she would say — 

“I wonder who it was that told Captain Walters that 
I had them all in ray trunk I Oh I it was God who told 
him, to save me from going to hell 

And then, in a softer and more gentle way, she would 
say— 

Oh I how good it was in Captain Walters not to tell 


22S 


LILLIAN; OR, 


my father and mother, and not to send me to jail 1 And 
then he told me that he would not tell Mrs. Walters — 
neither did he ; was not that good of him I But I put 
them all back again where I got them. And was not 
that a pretty Testament he gave me I (51i ! what a 
sweet prayer he made to God for me, when we knelt 
down before he left the room !” 

All this was spoken in short, broken sentences, at 
different times through the days and nights of her sick- 
ness. She had indeed filled her soul with remorse, and 
embittered her last moments. Often, as she lay, she 
seemed as if talking to some one, with her eyes fixed on 
vacancy ; and the theme of all her talk was the crime 
of which she had been guilty, in purloining the articles 
intrusted to her care. 

But the ears of Mrs. Walters, as well as of the two 
women, Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Jones, were attentive to 
catch every word, yea, half a word. All this was as- 
sociated with the wild words and frantic actions of Bet- 
sey on the day of the funeral ; and they now concluded 
that there had been good reason for her conduct. Mrs. 
Walters said very little on the subject, except words of 
pity and compassion. But when Betsey alluded to the 
silence of her late husband, and of his goodness in not 
exposing her, she said — 

Yes, it was just like the goodness and the tender- 
ness of his heart. He was like his Lord and Master — 
he would not break the bruised reed.” 

But Mrs. Brown was full of all sorts of surmisings, 
and wonderings, and suggestions. And Mrs. Jones, at 
every wild expression uttered by Betsey, would raise 
her hands, expressive of holy horror, and give still 


woman’s endueance. 229 

greater expansion to her large eyes, soliloquizing in an 
undertone — 

“Well, who would ever have thought it I Dear me, 
Fm sure there’s no knowing who to trust 1 Mercy upon 
us I surely, the world must be coming to a^ end, there 
is so much wickedness now-a-days I” 

The fever was of such a virulent type that it made 
short work with Betsey. Although she had a few lucid 
moments, yet these were embittered by the recollection 
of her sins. They had indeed planted her dying pillow 
with thorns. She had, however, done all that lay in her 
power to rectify the crime of which she had been guilty, 
and as some small atonement, she had made a full and 
clear statement to Mrs. Walters before her death ; and 
under her clear and pointed instructions, had been able 
to throw her soul, with all its interests, on Christ. Yet 
her death was not like that of Captain Walters — calm, 
clear, confident, and gloriously triumphant. 

V 



230 


LILLIAN; OE, 


CHAPTER XXL 

Between three and four months after the death of 
Betsey, Mr. Le Clair paid a visit to Mrs. Walters ; and 
though he was received with great cordiality by her, 
yet there was an apparent restraint at times in the man- 
ners of both. It was true they held friendly and familiar 
converse on general subjects. On one occasion they 
walked in company to the little picturesque mound 
where lay entombed the remains of her late husband. 
Both exhibited great propriety in their conduct. While 
she evinced a true womanly feeling on her part, there 
was on his an exhibition of becoming respect to her 
heart-sorrows. It might have been that they both felt 
a delicacy, induced by the change in their relative posi- 
tion. She was now free from her marital bonds, and yet 
in the bloom of youth, and withal of a highly sympa- 
thetic nature. He was one year older than she, and 
with a heart as tender as it was good and pure. So 
devoid was he of all guile, that he carried truth and 
honesty in his very looks ; and the words of prudence 
and wisdom were ever flowing from his lips. 

The time came for Mr. Le Clair to leave. Mrs. Wal- 
ters gave him an invitation to renew his visit, to which 
he warmly responded, promising that he would most 
assuredly avail himself of the privilege. 

Mrs. Walters felt still more lonely for the visit of Mr. 
Le Clair, as it had been to her a momentary gleam of 


woman’s endukance. 


231 


sunshine, which, vanishing with his departure, had left, 
by contrast, a deeper gloom upon her mind. Her feel- 
ings were disturbed, and her thoughts all confusion, 
and she now felt her loneliness pressing with crushing 
weight upon her spirits. Of all the desolation felt at 
any time by the human heart, that of the mourning 
widow is doubtless ^the deepest, especially where she 
mourns the loss of such a partner as Captain Walters. 
But the heart is so self-adjusting, that it bends and soon 
accommodates itself to circumstances ; and especially 
as in the case of Mrs. Walters, who was governed by 
an enlightened acknowledgment of, and trust in, the all- 
disposing providence of Heaven. But, with all her trust 
and resignation, she was still a woman, and now felt 
her woman’s need — a sustaining arm on which to lean. 
She felt that she was still in the world, and had to con- 
tend in the world’s battles. And she found that, how- 
ever highly organized and endowed, physically and men- 
tally, woman has her own sphere of action, and out of it 
she is out of her place. She had learned, too, that to 
meet all the requirements of a household, and to com- 
plete the arrangements of a home, a sterner and stur- 
dier nature is required than woman’s. 

Mr. Le Clair, after his departure, felt somewhat at a 
loss to define his state of mind. He had been pleased, 
it was true, with the mental resources, and the endow- 
ments of mind of Mrs. Walters, and by her fine per- 
sonal appearance ; but her moral virtues, which are 
the greatest ornament of a woman, had, unknown to 
himself, completely carried him captive, so that she had 
now entire possession of his heart, and was the object 
that, day and night, occupied his thoughts. 


232 


LILLIAN; OR 


Mr. Le Clair was not long in determining on another 
visit to the home of Mrs. Walters. But he found his 
business such, that his time would be fully occupied for 
the coming two weeks. He questioned with himself, 
audibly — 

“ Is it possible that two whole weeks must pass be- 
fore I can see her again 

A gentleman close at his side, and who had observed 
his very unusual manner and absent-mindedness, caught 
up the words, and said to him in a kind of bantering, 
half-serious way — 

“ Why, what is come over you, Le Clair ; who is this 
bewitching fair one that has thus been drawing on your 
head and heart, and whom you so ardently desire to see 
again so soon ?” 

Le Clair started as though he had been caught in the 
commission of a grave offence, and his face became suf- 
fused as if he were stricken with a deep consciousness 
of guilt. He stammered out some incoherent remark 
that only made matters worse, and, hanging down his 
head, tried to hide his confusion by fumbling among 
some papers in his desk. The gentleman read his 
thoughts as if they had been written on his brow, and 
with tormenting coolness said — 

“ Why, Le Clair, I have always imagined your heart 
to be made of stone, and that you were doomed to live 
and die a batchelor. Who can this be, that has thus 
caught you in the silken meshes of her toils 

Mr. Le Clair protested upon his word and honor that 
his friend was never more mistaken — that he had never 
yet seen the woman who offered sufficient inducements 
to him to take her as his wife. It might be from fas- 


woman's endurance. 


233 


tidiousiiess of taste, but he had ever turned with a kind 
of loathing from the excessive frivolities of the opposite 
sex. 

' All this was said with a calm and candid seriousness 
that threw his friend altogether off the track ; but he 
said — 

“ Well, we shall see what we shall see, however. 
All that I have got to say is, that you are either in love 
or something worse.” 

Although Mr. Le Clair had been so positive in his 
denial of his being in love, he spoke in all sincerity, for 
his feelings and the state of his mind were a mystery to 
himself. He was in such a state that nothing went right 
with him. If he wrote, there was confusion of ideas, 
and he made sorry work with his books ; and as to run- 
ning up a column of figures, why, he might as well have 
attempted to grasp the passing cloud. He could not 
fix his mind for two minutes in succession. It was far 
away — at, as he called it, “ Sweet-brier Grove,” a name 
he had given to the residence of Mrs. Walters, on ac- 
count of the abundance of that shrub growing in the 
neighborhood. Suffice it to say, he passed the fourteen 
days most restlessly. He seemed relieved when the 
morning at length dawned on which he had proposed to 
himself to renew his visit to “ Sweet-brier Grove,” and 
for which, the past week, he had been making more 
than ordinary preparations. 

On the morning in question, under considerable trepi- 
dation, he started on his eventful journey. It was a 
very beautiful day in early autumn, and the various 
foliage of the forest was tinged by gentle touches of 
frost. The hues of the surrounding woods were a lively 


234 


LILLIAN; OR, 


representation of Mr. Le Clair’s mind and heart, agitated 
as they were by conflicting thoughts and feelings, from 
the sombre shades of doubt to the florid tint’s of hope. 
In this state, nearly at the close of day, he arrived in 
sight of “Sweet-brier Grove.” There now appeared to 
be something strange and unusual disturbing his inner 
self — there was a fluttering of the heart, a bewilderment 
of ideas. He had heretofore always gone up boldly to 
the house of Mrs. Walters, without hesitancy ; but now 
what a change had come over him ! Long might he 
have remained in this state of bewilderment, sitting in 
his vehicle in the silent and solitary wood, had not our 
friend Baptiste very opportunely come up, returning 
from a commission on which he had been sent by Mrs. 
Walters. On recognizing Mr. Le Clair, he introduced 
himself very politely in fluent French, which in a mo- 
ment broke the spell by which the former had been 
bound. This was a very fortunate circumstance for him, 
for Baptiste’s loquaciousness provoked a similar vein of 
talkativeness in Mr. Le Clair ; and thus occupied, in a 
short time they arrived at the house, where Baptiste, 
ever ready and alert, took the horse of Mr. Le Clair 
under his special management. The door was promptly 
opened by Mrs. Walters, for his approach had been ob- 
served by the little daughter of Mrs. Jones. 

The door being thrown open, it must be confessed that 
Mr. Le Clair, on meeting Mrs. Walters, manifested some 
confusion. On the part of that lady it must be said 
that she was not altogether devoid of embarrassment : 
but she put out her hand, which was taken and held by 
her visitor in a manner that conveyed the unmistakable 
language of the heart ; while a smile played over her 


woman’s endurance. 235 

features, the beaming forth of a pure soul, the simple 
but certain language of ingenuous love. 

Mr. Le Clair now found that it was not by set speech, 
or by formal words, that the soul can divine the mean- 
ing of a kindred soul. He learned that there is a mute 
eloquence, far more expressive than the language of the 
tongue. 

Little ceremony was necessary to induct the welcome 
visitor ; not so easy, however, to calm the gentle flutter, 
or to hush the soft whisperings of the little winged 
myth that was nestling so cozily in each of their hearts. 
But at this stage of their acquaintance it was evident 
that, although they could not fully decipher the charac- 
ters that were being written on the inner scroll of their 
own natures, they could read distinctly the true devo- 
tion of their honest purpose. 

Although every thing appeared propitious to the views 
and wishes of Mr. Le Clair, yet there was a restraint 
upon his own freedom of speech that he could not throw 
off. He was no bold and artful pretender, with a flow 
of flowery flattery upon his tongue, or words expressing 
feelings that were foreign to his heart. So far from this 
being the case, he was all true and genuine emotion ; 
but this emotion, pent up in his own breast, actually be- 
came painful for want of utterance ; and he was often 
on the point of making a declaration of his attachment, 
but as often his courage or self-confidence failed him. 

This was observed by Mrs. Walters, who, with wo- 
man’s penetration and adroitness, but without making any 
direct advances, sought to remove any little impediment 
that she supposed calculated to embarrass him. But 
all this was to no purpose ; for while there was elo- 


236 


LILLIAN; OR 


quence in the eye, in the whole countenance, and in all 
his manners, still words were not at his will. And this 
state of things continued during the whole of the time 
allotted for his stay, and he actually left Mrs. Walters 
without having made any explicit expression of his 
sentiments. 

Before he left his home, he had made arrangements 
with the subordinates in his oflSce for his return at a 
certain time, as there was urgent business on hand re- 
quiring his presence. When the stated morning arrived, 
the indications of the weather were any thing rather 
than pleasant — in fact, there were signs of an impending 
storm. But as Mr. Le Clair was a man of. business, and 
at the same time full of vigor, no trifle could deter him 
when his purpose was once formed. But in this case 
he had to encounter the entreaties and persuasions of 
Mrs. Walters ; for she felt for his health and comfort, 
and even for his safety. It would be so very dangerous 
for him to venture out on such a morning, when vast 
volumes of dense black clouds were looming up in the 
distance. She declared that if he did go, she would 
have no peace of mind ; and she would be so impatient 
to hear if his health had suffered from exposure to the 
cold and wet ! All this was expressed by Mrs. Walters 
with more than ordinary feeling, and it so touched the 
heart of Mr. Le Clair that he asked, in falterino: tones — 

“ Then, are the health and safety of Charles Le Clair 
so very precious in the estimation of Mrs. Walters ?” 

This was spoken in such a tone of voice, and with so 
much meaning in his countenance, that, in a moment, 
her face and neck were suffused with a crimson flush. 
This involuntary exhibition was a sufficient and a siguifi- 


woman’s ENl URANCE. 


237 


cant answer to his question. Yet this chance was lost 
to him by his extreme diffidence, and she adroitly turned 
the subject by some off-hand remark. It so happened 
that Mrs. Walters was relieved of her fears as to the 
storm, and Mr. Le Clair was enabled to carry out his 
original resolve, as, contrary to their expectations, the 
clouds dispersed, and it proved a bright and pleasant 
day. After his departure, she followed him with her eyes 
until intervening objects shielded him from her sight. 

It will of course be supposed, from the character of our 
narrative, that the attachment of Mrs. Walters and Mr. 
Lc Clair was strong as well as mutual : and, indeed, no 
wonder, for each had been captivated by the goodness 
of the other’s heart and many sterling virtues. The 
longer they were in each other’s company, and observed 
the developments of each other’s true character, the 
more deeply they were enamored ; and it must be re- 
membered that neither of them was of an age to be 
pleased by vain fancies or allured by trifles. It must 
have been something really genuine, and far above the 
common order of person and of intellect, to exert such a 
controlling influence on two such minds. It may not 
be altogether a mere play. upon words to say that, in 
reality, it was Mrs. Walters who went away, and Mr. 
Le Clair who remained at “ Sweet-brier Grove for 
they had so completely merged their identity, that self in 
each was lost in contemplating the other. Such being 
the case, it may be supposed that but little time would 
be allowed to transpire before Mr. Le Clair would so 
bend circumstances as to enable him to go where such 
strong attachment led the way ; and Mrs. Walters was 
astonished and delighted to see Mr. Le Clair return in 


238 


LILLIAN; OR, 


but a few days after he had left her. It might be row 
said that Mr. Le Clair was the formal and acknowledged 
suitor of Mrs. Walters. A great change had taken 
place in his spirit and manners, for he appeared inspired 
with greater confidence, though devoid of any approach 
to a vain presumption. At the first opportunity that 
offered, in a calm and modest way he informed Mrs. 
Walters of the purport of his visit, and that he had been 
impelled to this step by the deep impression that her 
virtues had made upon his heart. Mrs. Walters, re- 
sponding with great dignity, but at the same time with 
much feeling, said she could not be insensible to the 
high opinion of her to which he had been pleased to 
give expression ; that she held his word and his integ- 
rity in the highest estimation, believing that he- was not 
one to lightly use words in a sense he did not intend, 
and to which his actions would • not conform. Thus, 
then, this remarkable pair had at length come to a full 
and intelligent understanding with each other as to 
their wishes and purposes. But theirs was not a love 
that exhibited itself only in words or unmeaning out- 
ward manifestations. In the case of Mr. Le Clair, 
moulded as his nature and character had been, there 
was something startling in his earnestness when he was 
once fully aroused to action. But while he was impelled 
onward by the force, and indeed at times fury, of that 
part of his nature derived from his Indian ancestry, 
this was modified and elevated by the high-toned gal- 
lantry which he had inherited from the nationality of 
his mother. In making a proffer of his hand to Mrs. 
Walters, she was quite sure that his whole being was 
included, and that his faith would be as stable as the 


woman’s endurance. 


239 


laws of the universe ; and Mr. Le Clair had no less con- 
fidence in the faith of Mrs. Walters. 

These being the feelings, and this the relative posi- 
tion of the parties, the final result can hardly be a 
subject for conjecture. In the course of some three 
months after the avowal of their attachment, and a little 
more than two years after the death of Captain Walters, 
this noble pair were united in the bonds of holy wed- 
lock. From what the reader has learned of Mr. and 
Mrs. Le Clair, for we must now give her that designa- 
tion, he will naturally infer that their character, as it 
has been developed, was carried out in their wedded 
life. And that was the case ; for their affections were 
based upon a mutual and just appreciation of their 
matured judgments and cultivated minds. And while 
these endure, reciprocal admiration and love must en- 
dure. Their love was of natural growth, sprung from 
a germ that had taken deep root in their warm, sympa- 
thetic hearts, and been favored by congenial influences, 
which now so matured the appropriate fruit, that it 
promised to be both abundant and perennial in its sup- 
ply. Unlike the tender hot-house plant, which withers 
and dies when it comes in contact with the icy winds 
that before swept around, but could not touch it, it ap- 
pears more beautiful and vigorous from the storms that 
visit it. In this case there was an amiable urbanity, a 
moral beauty, a vigor and vitality, exhibited in all their 
intercourse and relationships in life, that not only en- 
deared them to each other, but to every one with whom 
they came in contact. And then, unlike the young and 
inexperienced couple, who, having just left the parental 
roof, are about to encounter untried labors, responsibi- 


240 


LILLIAN; O R, 


lities, and duties, they had been severely schooled in 
the great battle of every-day life, and their mental and 
moral resources were adequate to every demand that 
might be made upon them. 

Mr. Le Clair now found that it would prove more to 
his convenience, as well as be more in accordance with 
his inclination, to break up his establishment in Kings- 
ton, and remove his office to his new home ; especially 
as the greater number of the Indian tribes over which 
he had superintendence were located within a short dis- 
tance of “ Sweet-brier Grove.” By making this change 
in his residence and his place of business, all the re- 
quirements of those Indians might be more promptly 
attended to. It was soon found that the Indians them- 
selves were pleased with this change, from the facilities 
it gave them. Great numbers, also, now called daily at 
the office of the “ Chief,” as they styled Mr. Le Clair. 

But while this arrangement afforded greater conve- 
nience, it had not only greatly augmented the business 
of Mr. Le Clair, but had also subjected him to number- 
less annoyances. Every little want, every frivolous dis- 
pute, and all kinds of imaginary grievances, were car- 
ried at once to him. Though his patience was often 
sorely tried, yet his firmness, decision, discriminating 
judgment, and, above all, his cool and even temper, 
generally enabled him to succeed in satisfying all 
parties. 

There was a very perceptible change in the home 
establishment of Mr. and Mrs. Le Clair ; although there 
had been no lack of vigilance and energy on the part of 
Mrs. Le Clair prior to her marriage, for, considering her 
antecedents, she had certainly accomplished wonders. 


woman’s endurance. 


241 


But after Mr. Le Clair assumed authority, with his nat- 
ural energy, he brought his peculiar habits of system 
to bear on the out-door operations of the farm, and the 
effect was almost magical. The attention of Mrs. Le 
Clair was given to her own special department, and more 
congenial sphere. Consequently, all things were done 
to better purpose, in-doors as well as out. Thus, from 
their combined exertions, they soon became patterns of 
thrift, and models of general good management. Mr. 
Le Clair was not slow in discerning the value of the 
services of our little French friend Baptiste. And Bap- 
tiste himself felt as proud, and appeared as dignified in 
his deportment, as though he had been a first minister 
of state. He was a kind of generalissimo over all the 
operations, both in-doors and out, ever as faithful and 
prompt in all things, as if his life depended on their 
correct performance. Jones and Brown also became 
strongly attached to Mr. Le Clair 5 and docile in their 
temper and disposition, were patient in pursuing all the 
labors of the farm. The women, too, while busy with 
their hands, were as glib with their tongues as ever. 



242 


LILLtAN; OR, 


CHAPTER XXII. 

We must now refer to an event that will have an 
important bearing, and exert a controlling influence on 
the future of our narrative — an event that might have 
been expected under the circumstances. 

Mrs. Le Clair, in the course of time, found herself as 
women wish to be who love their lords ; and at length, 
to the great joy of every member of the household, gave 
birth to a girl-child. This, a strong bond of union, drew 
still closer the hearts of the parents. Many were they 
who came to offer their congratulations. But the more 
numerous were the poor Indians, the untutored children 
of the forest, who seemed to vie with each other in their 
expressions of exultant joy at the birth of a daughter to 
their Chief. They had made preparations to celebrate 
tlie auspicious event in their own way, and appointed 
their own time. They came on the day designated, in 
full Indian costume, determined to give full scope to 
their feelings in the performance of their characteristic 
sports — the festive dance, feats of strength, wrestling, 
showing their fleetness in the foot-race ; but, above all, 
their favorite ball-game. A serio-comic turn was given 
to the sports by the introduction of an old, shrivelled, and 
withered crone, who was led into the chamber where 
lay the mother and infant daughter. This old woman 
was accompanied by a number of squaws. She was 


woman’s endurance. 243 

formally introduced to Mrs. Le Clair by the wives of 
two Indian chiefs. On approaching the couch, while 
she was going through a course of strange and uncouth 
gesticulations, she uttered what appeared to be a kind 
of cabalistic terms. She closely examined the child, 
peered into its eyes, looking for marks on its forehead, 
and scrutinizing each of its hands. She then stood 
musing for some time, apparently pondering the char- 
acter and portents of the marks and signs she had been 
tracing on the person of the infant before her. At 
length she burst out into a loud laugh, trying to mimic 
childish gayety. Then she wept bitterly, wringing her 
hands, pulling at her hair, and going through many other 
gestures, as though she were the subject of deep sorrow. 
With a sudden transition, she then burst into loud and 
long-continued laughter, at the same time pointing tow- 
ards the rising sun, and making an attempt to walk 
majestically ; and, as though she were grandly dressed, 
adjusting the different parts of her dress, shaking it, and 
laying the folds in proper trim, all the time looking into 
the large mirror. All this, and more, that she went 
through, indicated, according to the interpretation of 
one of the squaws present, that the infant would enjoy 
much pleasure in early life ; but later, experience deep 
sorrow for a time ; which would, however, unexpectedly 
and suddenly, be turned into joy and gladness. Through 
the whole of her after-life, she would be surrounded with 
pomp and splendor, and occupy a position of high dig- 
nity and social respectability. All this would occur in 
a far-off eastern direction. At the conclusion of this 
ceremony, several of the young squaws stepped forward, 
and presented beautiful Indian trinkets ' and ornaments, 


244 


LILLIAN; OR, 


placing them on the head, arms, and neck of the infant, 
giving her a most grotesque appearance. The cere- 
mony shocked the religious sensibilities of Mrs. Jones, 
who, raising her hands in holy horror, and uttering short 
ejaculations of bewildered astonishment, left the room, 
declaiming against such blasphemous proceedings, as 
she termed them. But Mrs. Brown enjoyed the thing 
vastly, as merely an innocent amusement, gratifying to 
the poor ignorant Indians. The judgment of Mrs. Le 
Clair vibrated between that of her two women. She 
was not altogether pleased with the cabalistic incanta- 
tions of the old crone, yet she had too much prudence 
to attempt to arrest her proceedings ; for the Indians, 
both male and female, regard with veneration the senior 
female member of their tribe. They place implicit faith 
in her oracular character, being persuaded that she is 
gifted by the great Spirit with second-sight, and the 
interpretation of signs. And to have called this in 
question, might have so raised their passions, as to 
make them irreconcilable and vindictive enemies. 

Among the company crowded into the chamber of Mrs. 
Le Clair, was an old woman, in a black cloak, with a 
large black hood. This person appeared to pay marked 
attention to every object in the room, as well as to listen 
attentively to every passing remark. But the great 
centre of her scrutiny was the mother and her infant, 
for she seemed determined to carry away with her every 
lineament of their features, deeply imprinted on her own 
mind. 

In the evening of the day on which these events oc- 
curred, Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Jones were sitting work- 
ing at their sewing, with other members of the family, 


woman’s endukance. 


245 


The conversation very naturally turned upon the re- 
markable incidents of the day. They dwelt more espe- 
cially upon the strange doings and sayings of the old 
Indian fortune-teller, as they called her. We have al- 
ready alluded to Mrs. Jones, whose religious sentiments 
were so shocked by what she considered the blasphe- 
mous utterances of the old witch. It may be thought 
that she still felt the abhorrence she manifested when 
they were first uttered. Not so ; for after sitting some 
time in a musing mood, she at length made the remark, 
“ Dear me, it would be very strange, if all that the old 
woman said about baby was to come to pass — would it 
not ?’’ This remark proved a key-note, for incident after 
incident was now narrated, in confirmation of a once 
popular belief, that some old people were gifted with 
second-sight, by which they were able to read the des- 
tiny of others. Mrs. Jones herself was as positive as 
any of the company in affirming these things ; and even 
Mrs. Le Clair was impressed somewhat in the same 
way ; at least, she hoped that her darling was born to 
a better state of things than had fallen to her lot, and 
that the brightest visions depicted by the old woman 
might be more than realized by her darling infant 
daughter. In fact, the entire party, who were at first 
startled by the actions and declarations of the ignorant 
old Indian, were now willing to be persuaded that there 
might, after all, be some truth in what she had prognos- 
ticated. And we might here ask, where is there a mind, 
however intelligent or highly cultivated, that is entirely 
devoid of superstition and credulity ? 

On the following morning, there was a new excite- 
ment, but of a different character from the one above 


246 


LILLIAN; OR, 

alluded to. Far on in the morning", as the women were 
putting things to rights, and clearing up the chamber of 
Mrs. Le Clair — and it must be remembered that it was 
the same room in which the Indian women had assem- 
bled, together with the old woman with the black cloak 
and hood — as the little girl of Mrs. Jones was carrying 
a chair across the room, there fell from underneath the 
cushion a letter, which she picked up, and handed to her 
mother ; and Mrs. Jones seeing that the letter was di- 
rected to Mrs. Le Clair, gave it to her. The peace and 
tranquillity reigning in that room prior to the appear- 
ance of the letter, were now broken by one who seemed 
smitten with a sudden and heart-rending sorrow. The 
two women were confounded, feeling their inability to 
arrest, by any condolence they could offer, the torrent 
of tears they saw falling before them. They were 
alarmed for the personal safety of Mrs. Le Clair, the 
event happening at so critical a stage of her convales- 
cence. In the height of the excitement and confusion, 
Mr. Le Clair stepped into the room, whence he had re- 
tired but a few minutes before, leaving his wife com- 
posed and tranquil : now, to his astonishment, he found 
not only his wife, but all the family, affected by a com- 
mon sympathy, bathed in tears. Mr. Le Clair, in the 
excitement of the moment, asked a series of questions, 
before one could be answered. Was his wife in danger, 
was the baby taken suddenly ill, or what other sad 
calamity had befallen the family? The only answer he 
received was given by his wife, who simply pointed to 
the yet unopened letter, which lay by her on the bed. 
Mr. Le Clair took the letter, and, holding it up between 
his finger and thumb, said — 


woman’s endurance. 247 

“ Why, my dear, your alarm is all imaginary, for there 
is nothing here to affect you thus.” 

“ My dear Charles,” said his wife, “ it is the mystery, 
it is the black phantom, that I have so fully explained 
to you before I” 

“ Why,” asked Mr. Le Clair, ‘‘ has she been here to- 
day with this letter ?” 

“ Oh, no 1” said his wife ; “ yesterday she was among 
the crowd. I noticed her ; and now, I recollect, I had 
strange emotions on seeing the black cloak and hood. 
At the time, I took her to be some one connected with 
the Indians, and so thought no more of her. But when 
the letter was produced, the whole thing flashed upon 
my mind — I saw and felt that I was still the victim of 
that mysterious being — who is ever near me, ever ac- 
tive. My dear Charles, am I thus to be followed to the 
grave ; is there no possibility of my eluding her, or of 
discovering her home, if she has one on earth ?” 

After musing for some time, Mr. Le Clair at length 
said — 

“ Yes, I think there is a possibility of finding out who 
she is, and where she comes from. I will put upon her 
trail some of my keenest, shrewdest Indian scouts. Per- 
haps,” he continued, “ the letter itself contains a solution 
of the enigma — let us see,” at the same time handing it 
to his wife, saying, “ It is your letter, my dear.” 

“ My dear Charles, I give you full liberty to peruse 
it.” 

Opening it, he found it to contain, as all the others 
had, a sterling five hundred pound Bank of England 
note, with the Scriptural quotations as before ; but to 
the note was attached a slip of paper, on which was 


248 


LILLtAN; OR, 

written, “ To purchase a new frock for your little daugli- 
ter.” For some time Mr. Le Clair sat pondering the 
contents of the letter. He at length said — 

“ Well, my dear, there is really great mystery in this, 
and I do not wonder at your anxiety of mind, when I 
consider all the circumstances. But at all events, who- 
ever and whatever she may be, she appears to take a 
deep interest in your well-being ; and it is my impres- 
sion that she has some object in view which will ulti- 
mately be found of great importance. It is my counsel 
that you wait patiently for the full development of 
events. We might reasonably presume that if she has 
hitherto been able to elude all your attempts to unmask 
her, she will be equally successful in the future. That 
consideration, however, shall not deter me from my pur- 
pose of discovering, if possible, her hiding-place. If 
necessary, I will scour the whole country, for I have the 
right agents for that work at my command.” 

The views of Mr. Le Clair met the approbation of his 
wife ; and she well knew that what her husband had 
with such emphasis declared to be his purpose, he would 
execute with his accustomed energy. 

Mr. Le Clair forthwith made, from among the Indians 
within his district, a selection of men at once shrewd 
and of tried courage and endurance. Giving them pre- 
cise instructions, he allotted to each the portion of coun- 
try he was to investigate, and sent them forth, inspired 
with somewhat of his own zeal in the cause. 

That the reader may be somewhat informed of the 
proceedings of the mysterious being who caused all the 
anxiety and unhappiness of which the home of Mr. and 
Mrs. Le Clair was now the scene, we will introduce him 


woman’s endurance. 249 

to a party and a place with whom and which he is al- 
ready acquainted. At a small tavern by the roadside, 
on the way to Kingston, and about half-way between 
that town and “ Sweet-Brier Grove,^^ the people were all 
hurry and activity on the night in question ; for a lady- 
traveller, with her man-servant, had arrived, and was 
to take supper, and remain for ' the night. Some time 
after the lady had partaken of a sumptuous repast, and 
retired to the sitting-room, her man-servant was sum- 
moned to her presence. 

“ Well, Thomas,” she inquired, “ what do you think of 
the home of the late Captain Walters, and the present 
home of Mr. and Mrs. Le Clair ?” 

“ Why,” said the man, “ I could not have supposed 
it possible that skill and labor could have made such a 
wonderful transformation in the short space of a little 
more than five years.” 

“ I presume,” said the lady, that the skill should 
mostly be credited to Captain Walters, and the principal 
part of the labor, in carrying out the original design, to 
the present occupants.” 

“ That may be so,” said the man ; “ and if Captain 
Walters could only see how completely his plans and 
purposes have been carried out, it would afford him high 
satisfaction.” 

“ Yes, indeed,” said the lady ; “ but I see a vast dif- 
ference between the late Captain Walters and Mr. Le 
Clair ; for the first, with all his endowments, natural 
and acquired, was of far too keen susceptibilities for 
the rough-and-tumble wrestling with the world. But I 
see that Mr. Le Clair grapples with his opponents — 
men, and things, and circumstances — without gloves. 


250 


LILLIAN; OE, 


His stern will, clear perceptions, and sound judgment, 
are powerful aids in the contest. These impressions 
lead me to conclude that we must, in- the future, be more 
cautious in all our movements ; and I have resolved to 
move far away from my present residence to some more 
retired locality. But, Thomas,” continued the lady, “ did 
you make the acquaintance of any of the Indians, male 
or female ?” 

“ Not much, my lady,” said the man ; “ but I heard 
some of the women say, that one of the old Indians 
had prophesied that the little daughter of Mrs. Le Clair 
was born to be a great lady some day — somewhere a 
great way off.” 

“ Yes, I heard her,” said the lady. “ It seems all very 
strange. I am not superstitious, nor ready to give heed 
to old wives’ tales or fables, but somehow, that old wo- 
man’s sayings and doings have found a weak spot in my 
nature — I know not what to make of them. Her say- 
ings seem to give nerve and force to my present pur- 
pose, for, if her predictions do come to pass, it will only 
be the fulfilment of my present expectations, and the 
realization of my long-cherished hopes. But I feel per- 
fectly willing to wait, and allow providence to work 
out its own purposes ; and when I see the result, I shall 
be satisfied, whatever it may be. 

“ But now, Thomas,” said the lady, “ we must be away 
early in the morning ; our present and future plans and 
purposes admit of no delay ; for, depend upon it, we 
may expect untiring pursuers on our path, so that we 
must endeavor to have the advantage of a good start. 
To this end, we must put to the test the fleetness of our 
horses, as well as our own skill and prudence. 


woman’s endurance. 


251 


CHAPTER XXIIL 

We must now return to the main object of our narra- 
ti e. It was soon found that the little stranger proved 
to be a great centre of attraction. Each day brought 
seme new visitor to the mansion, with a contribution of 
good wishes and admiration of the beauty of the baby ; 
and each was delighted with the privilege of fondling 
with it on their lap, or cutting antics with it around the 
room. There was considerable discussion between Mr. 
and Mrs. Le Clair as to the name that should be given 
to their young daughter. It was at length decided that 
she should be called Lillian. This met with universal 
approval ; but she was generally called by its abbre- 
viated synonym, Lilly. 

Mrs. Le Clair had now added to all the duties and 
labors incident to a large family and the management of 
a farm-house, those of a maternal character ; and she 
fully realized and felt the weight and importance of her 
new responsibilities. She began early with the deter- 
mination, as far as lay in her power, to mould the mind 
of her tender charge in some conformity to her own will. 
She soon found, however, that there were strong antag- 
onistic powers, and deep-rooted principles of evil in the 
very nature of the child, that would exercise to the 
utmost her love, her wisdom, and her patience. She 
found, too, that nature had been lavish of her favors in 


252 


LILLIAN; OR, 


the moulding of the person of her daughter. This was 
often a source of intense anxiety ; for people, unmindful 
of the radical injury they were inflicting, would often 
praise her beauty, at the risk of prompting her pride 
and inflating her vanity. Thus, the mother had a 
double task, in trying to counteract the influence of the 
inconsiderate conduct of others on the mind of Lillian, 
and in curbing those passions which, if allowed to 
gather strength, would not only prove destructive to her 
own peace, but be a torment to all connected with her. 

It was an enlightened policy in the mother that in- 
duced her to cultivate at once, in the mind of her daugh- 
ter, a proper and wholesome degree of fear, not to loosen 
for a moment or injure in the least those tender cords 
of affection, that entwine and bind fast together the 
hearts of a mother and her child. But, at the same 
time, she let her distinctly understand, that passion was 
a fault in her nature that must be curbed ; and that 
disobedience to her word and wishes must not go unre- 
buked. At the same time, to correct any waywardness, 
she lent all assistance possible to her child, by leading 
her by gentle admonition, rather than driving her by 
boisterous commands or angry threats. She made it a 
point, in all her intercourse with Lillian, never to wound 
her sensibilities, or blunt those sweet affections that 
spontaneously gush forth from the young heart, in the 
early recognition of the mother. But, by every little 
art that a mother’s love could devise, she tried to keep 
these in their early freshness ; and threw out those slen- 
der tendrils, each slight indeed, but which, combining 
at length, form a band of love, that time, nor distance, 
nor untoward circumstance can sever. 


woman’s endurance. 253 

We are not here going to introduce any remarks as 
to the superlative beauty of this or that baby, or that 
there is only one beauty, and every mother has it ; but 
we do say, that nature really did make an extra effort 
when Lillian was produced. And as she advanced in 
age, and her form became developed, each successive 
month seemed to add some new feature, and to give a 
higher degree of perfection to her entire being. 

As we have already noticed in the case of Mr. Le 
Clair, that his personal appearance gave clear indica- 
tion of his Indian and French origin, developing traits 
of both, which, harmoniously mingling, resulted in a 
high degree of beauty ; so in the case of Lillian, she 
gave clear proof that she had a good share of Indian 
blood in her veins, while some of her features evidenced 
a derivation from the same source. But all this was 
considerably modified by the moulding she had received 
from her English mother. As the Indian features and 
nature had been softened and refined in Mr. Le Clair 
by his French mother, so this process of transformation 
had been carried on in the person of Lillian, producing 
one of those brilliant and charming creatures so often to 
be met with in the South, the result of a mixture of races. 
Lillian, growing apace, soon gave evidence that she 
had an imperious nature. When quite young, with an 
irascible temper, she could assume a terrible sternness 
of countenance, and a masculine rigidity of muscle that 
was as unyielding as her despotic will. At times, coer- 
cion was of no avail ; and soft, affectionate words, had 
no more influence over her than they would have had on 
the passing wind. Often, when this was the case, would 
Mrs. Le Clair clasp her child to her bosom, and in an 


254 : 


LILLIAN; OK 


agony exclaim, “ Oh ! what have I done to bring sucb a 
being as this into the world !” But the mother’s love 
bore her up, and with untiring patience she urged both 
mental. and moral influences ; and, as the child’s intellect 
expanded, she instilled the sentiments and imparted the 
instruction suited to its comprehension. On this point, 
however, the mother appeared to have but little trouble, 
for Lillian’s mind, like her person, proved to be above the 
common cast, with a memory most accurately retentive. 
Thus the labor of instruction, while it was a duty, be- 
came a pleasure, because the pupil was apt at learning 
and eager to advance. And then, this acquisition of 
knowledge, and the improvement of her mind, proved to 
be a powerful weapon in her own behalf, that she was 
taught to wield against her passions ; and as her mind 
became informed, and her judgment matured, she did 
arrive at the conviction, that her passions were her frail- 
ties, and, in part, her deadliest foes. 

Deep was her mother’s commiseration as she saw evi- 
dences of the fierce strife that was being carried, on in 
the mind of Lillian, between the convictions of her bet- 
ter judgment and her deplorable passions. After an ac- 
cess of passion, when reflection came, and the calmer 
mood of her mind returned, the mother’s love would 
prompt those feelings that soothed and swayed the 
softened heart of her child. And at such times, and un- 
der the influence of such impressions, often would that 
subdued girl bury her face in her mother’s lap, and weep 
bitter tears over these sad exhibitions of her turbulent 
nature. 

Oh, what opposites met in that nature, that girl of 
bright and sparkling genius, possessing those amiable 


woman’s endurance. 


255 


qualities of mind and disposition, and such surpassing- 
beauty of person I If any other woman than Mrs. Le 
Clair had had this mysterious being under her charge — 
this incongruous creature, this inexplicable mixture of 
opposites — the better part of her nature would have been 
irretrievably overborne by her lower propensities. It 
was, under God, the wisdom and patience of Mrs. Le 
Clair, prompted by her untiring love, that not only saved 
Lillian from such a fate, but eventually sent her forth 
as a beautiful example of what a mother may accomplish, 
under the most unpropitious circumstances, with un- 
tractable and forbidding materials. 

It must, however, be said in Lillian’s favor, that, not- 
withstanding the extreme unevenness of her nature, she 
was a general favorite, owing to her ingenuousness and 
the open honesty of her heart. To guile, or deception 
of any kind, she was a perfect stranger, and she despised 
them in others. But however much she was the favor- 
ite with others, she was especially so with the Indians, 
for these simple children of the forest seldom visited the 
oflSce of Mr. Le Clair without bringing some little token 
of their regard to Lillian ; and from this source she had 
accumulated quite an extensive and valuable assortment 
of Indian curiosities. These consisted of every variety 
of needle-work in beads and moose-hair, and beautiful 
specimens of work with birch-bark. 

What seemed to be received with the most delight, 
and enjoyed with the greatest glee, was a beautiful and 
elaborately ornamented bow with a quiver full of arrows. 
This present suited exactly the restless and rampant 
spirit of Lillian, for confinement, for any length of time 
at once, was to her unendurable. And this bow, with 


256 


LILLIAN; OR, 


the quiver slung over her shoulder, was her constant 
companion. By continued practice, so proficient did she 
become as an archer, that but few of the Indian boys 
or girls could surpass her in the exercise ; and many a 
bird and squirrel, and other small animal, became vic- 
tims to her correct and steady aim. This, beyond 
doubt, was in part owing to the minute instructions of 
the Indian from whom she received the gift, as to the 
proper position, the right handling of the bow, and ad- 
justing of the arrow. It was with this, as with every 
thing else to which she turned her attention — that one 
thing or subject, or whatever it might be, monopolized 
for the time the concentrated force of all the powers of 
her mind. 

Such was the ardor of Lillian’s nature, the energy she 
put forth, and the clearness of her perceptions, that the 
tedious process of patient mental drudgery was unne- 
cessary, for she reached results by intuition, as it were. 
Her mother had from comparative infancy, by a gradual, 
easy, and pleasant process, opened up to the mind of 
her daughter the general elements of knowledge ; so 
that she could at a very early age read with fluency, and 
understand clearly what she read. But music seemed 
to captivate her the most, for her emotional nature was 
stirred through all its depths when listening to others, or 
when her own nimble fingers were sweeping over the keys 
of the piano ; and for brilliancy of execution she bid fair 
to rival even her mother. Her voice, too, while yet 
uneducated, gave promise of being one of surpassing 
power and sweetness. This proved a kind of safety- 
valve for her passionate and vehement spirit ; for the 
gushings forth of her wild nature in song often rapt her 


woman's endueance. 257 

own soul, while they held those who listened spell-bound 
with delight. 

It was often a source of unalloyed pleasure to Lillian 
to sit and listen to the old Indian squaws, while they re- 
lated to her the legendary tales of battles, victories, 
triumphs, and exciting love-stories still current among 
the neighboring tribes. These, together with memorable 
incidents and thrilling narrations of the adventures of 
remarkable individuals, were interwoven with the his- 
tory of some of the tribes connected with her own an- 
cestry, and, depicted in their glowing and expressive 
language, and adorned with the florid imagery peculiar 
to these depositaries of Indian lore, so infatuated Lil- 
lian, and so flred her imagination, that she gloried in, 
and would often boast of her descent from a long line 
of intrepid warriors. Thus, by intercourse with the In- 
dians, both young and old, she not only became initiated 
in all the mysteries of Indian lore, and an adept in all 
their sports, but could converse with fluency in their 
language. 

The restlesji and roving disposition of Lillian kept 
her so constantly on the move, that in walking, and in 
exei*cises demanding agility or fleetness, she would 
weary the most robust and active of her playmates. 
She at length found a companion and playmate who was 
her equal in feats of agility and fleetness, and one that 
she could not so easily out-exercise, and with whom she 
could romp, jump, wrestle, and run to her heart’s con- 
tent. This playmate was a fine, young Newfoundland 
dog. She soon succeeded in making Rollo her obedient 
servitor, as well as faithful friend, which had not al- 
ways been the case with her former playmates. The 


0 


258 LILLIAN; OR, 

sagacious and docile animal seemed to take a special 
pride in going through all the tricks and pranks that 
Lillian taught him ; and some of these were of a mar- 
vellous tind, exhibiting great intelligence. One great 
delight of Lillian was to go to the shore of the neigh- 
boring Lake Ontario, in the waters of which, clad in 
her light bathing-dress, she and Rollo would enjoy them- 
selves in sports, as they had done on the land ; and it 
was not easy to decide which of the two was the better 
swimmer, Lillian or Rollo. 

Lillian was again fortunate in discovering a pet, a 
wild creature, with a disposition almost a match for her 
own — a young colt, untamed, and apparently untama- 
ble. This colt, of a vicious disposition, would permit no 
one to approach her without an exhibition of her fiery 
spirit. But, by some mysterious impulse or freak, the 
colt was attracted to Lillian, who was quite willing to 
improve the opportunity, and she did all she could to 
ingratiate herself in her favor. Soon the friendship be- 
came so strong, that neither was contented apart from 
the other ; so that Lillian, the dog Rollo, and the colt, to 
which Lillian gave the name of Polly, were almost con- 
stant and congenial companions. But Lillian was the 
controlling spirit of the trio, and it must be admitted 
that she, at times, was rather imperious in her sway, 
But^ notwithstanding this, Polly could ill brook the first 
attempt that Lillian made to put bitt in her mouth, or 
saddle on her back. Polly seemed to look upon this 
attempt to control her freedom as a step too far. The 
brute soon found, however, that Lillian was master ol 
the situation, that her will was law, and that she her- 
self, rebellious as she felt, must submit. But when 


woman’s endurance. 


259 


Lillian carried her authority so far as to place herself 
on that saddle, Polly could restrain herself no longer, 
but breaking out into open rebellion, pranced and reared, 
exhibiting in every way her impotent rage. If the colt 
had been tame and submissive, it would not have been 
in accordance with the taste of Lillian ; as it was, she 
was in her element, and the more frantic the steed, the 
more excited the rider became, until she screamed with 
delight. The colt and Lillian, however, soon came to 
an understanding with each other — one was to rule, the 
other to obey. 

It was one of the chief delights of Lillian — accompa- 
nied by Rollo, and mounted on Polly, with her bow in 
hand, and her quiver full of arrows slung over her shoul- 
der — to exhibit her skill in archery, or the use of the 
bow. 

Many were the wild adventures and narrow escapes 
of Lillian. We will relate a single instance, which will 
suffice to show her spirit and courage. Early one morn- 
ing, in the autumn that succeeded Lillian’s fifteenth 
summer, she was taking her accustomed ride on her 
favorite pony Polly, when she was led by her daring 
spirit to a greater distance into the woods than usual. 
When about to return, by a narrow and intricate path, 
she was met by a full-grown black bear. The brute 
seemed to be the only one of the party that was at all 
confused by this unexpected meeting ; for Lillian, calm 
and courageous as she was, coolly brought her bow to 
position, and placing the arrow with care, with prompt 
aim and strong arm sent the missile with such force, 
that, entering the eye and penetrating the brain of the 
huge beast, it laid him sprawling on the ground. With 


260 


LILLIAN; OR, 


the cool deportment of a veteran sportsman, Lillian sur- 
veyed her game, and finding it too bulky for her to 
remove single-handed, she started for home, to relate 
her encounter and its successful result. A party was 
promptly dispatched to bring home the valuable prize, 
the fruit of Lillian’s skill and courage. It would be 
useless here to speculate on the danger Lillian would 
have been placed in, had the wound inflicted on the bear 
not proved fatal. All wonder at Lillian’s success as an 
archer will subside, when it is understood that she had 
been under the tuition of an Indian the most skilful of 
his tribe in the use of the bow. 



/ 


woman’s endurance. 


261 


CHAPTER XXIV. 

During all the early days and years of Lillian’s life, 
every faculty of her mother, physical and mental, had 
been deeply and incessantly exercised in her behalf; 
and now, as she advanced in years, the mother’s solici- 
tude became still more intense, for she saw that a being 
of such fine personal attractions must be exposed to 
great perils. But her fears were calmed and her mis- 
givings silenced by the reflection, that although the per- 
sonal beauty of Lillian was so admiringly recognized by 
every one else, yet she herself seemed utterly uncon- 
scious of its possession. And then, the purity of her 
mind was evinced by a frankness and artless simplicity 
of manners, that irresistibly commanded the respect 
and esteem of all who made her acquaintance. 

In all the intercourse of Lillian with the youth of the 
neighborhood, as she felt, so she ever exhibited her 
superiority, and they were quite willing to yield her 
proper homage. From her nature, it was not possible 
she should treat them otherwise. Yet her conduct was 
devoid of all arrogant, supercilious assumption. She 
owed this, in part, to the wise tuition of her mother, but 
more, perhaps, to the nobleness of her own mind, and 
the dignity of her nature. 

Lillian was now approaching a critical period of her 
life, when, according to the decision she should make, 
she would direct her bark for sunny seas or stormy 


262 


LILLIAN; OR, 


gulfs — for weal or woe. Her heart as yet was callow, 
fresh, mirthful, and girlish. Wild she was, and playful 
as the young fawn. It might be said that love, with her, 
was out of the question, as, among the rustics of the 
neighborhood, there was no youth who durst aspire to 
her hand. But she was happy, for she was approached 
by no evil, guarded as she ever was by her parents^ 
vigilant care. And she was supremely happy in the 
sweet assurance of her consciousness that she was the 
centre of attraction to their loving hearts. 

This little circle of father, mother, and daughter, 
was now the centre of admiring observation to their 
own domestics, as well as to their neighbors for a wide 
circuit. Every thing, both within doors and on their 
now large and well-cultivated farm, bore the marks of 
high prosperity. Providence seemed to smile upon them, 
and the minds of Mr. and Mrs. Le Clair were at ease 
with regard alike to the present and to the future. But 
they did not, like too maii}^ under similar circumstances, 
arrogate to themselves the praise for the acquisition of 
so many blessings. They knew who it was that thus 
caused their cup to run over, blessing them in basket 
and in store. 

It has doubtless been observed, from our narrative 
thus far, that Mr. Le Clair was a man of more than 
ordinary vigor of body and mind. His official position 
would naturally enlarge his capacity, and bring his 
talents to a state of high proficiency. And this was 
the case ; yet his talents were often put to a severe 
test by the difficult questions he was called upon to 
solve, in connection with the fierce passions and bit- 
terly vengeful spirits he had to contend against. He 


woman’s endurance. 


263 


was far more successful than some of his best friends 
had anticipated ; but, having employed the right means 
to secure it, they said that he deserved, success. Mr. Le 
Clair found less difiSculty in fashioning the general fea- 
tures of his farm to his taste and purposes, than in 
keeping under proper restraint the passionate and ob- 
durate natures of the Indians under his charge. A case 
soon arose that defied his skill and tact, and which he 
failed amicably to adjust to the satisfaction of the parties 
interested. Two of the most turbulent beings among all 
the tribes within his jurisdiction had had a serious dis- 
agreement about the division of the spoils of a hunting 
excursion. After long wrangling between themselves 
without arriving at any result, they agreed to refer the 
subject in dispute to the decision of their Chief. When 
the case was brought up for his adjudication, Mr. Le 
Clair, fearing the worst effects, whichever way it might 
terminate, formed the resolution, let the consequences 
be what they might, to judge between the two litigants 
according to the principles of strict justice. After hear- 
ing both sides of the case, he found, as he had antici- 
pated, that the Indian who had the weakest side of the 
plea was in almost continual altercation with nearly 
every member of his tribe, and was at once hated and 
feared by them all ; and that, consequently, the case 
must be decided against him. 

Mr. Le Clair gave his view of the case in a frank and 
clear statement, and awarded the disputed points so as 
to satisfy every member of the tribe except the irritable 
savage who had lost his suit. This fellow left the com- 
pany and the presence of Mr. Le Clair with a ferocious 
look, muttering threats of vengeance against some one. 


264 


LILLIAN; OR, 


The thing passed over for the time being, and little was 
said or thought on the subject. However, deep, black 
revenge was rankling in the bad heart of the desperate 
Indian. Within a month after the decision in the above 
case, Mr. Le Clair was found lying dead at a short dis- 
tance from his own house, with his heart pierced by an 
Indian arrow. 

The news of this dark deed flew in every direction, 
causing consternation and the deepest indignation wher- 
ever it came. So general and overwhelming was the 
sorrow, that every private interest was lost sight of, and 
tears flowed freely, — a deserved tribute to the memory 
of the lamented dead. But, as may be supposed, no- 
where did this calamity press so heavily as in his own 
home, on the hearts of his own sorrow-stricken loved 
ones. Mrs. Le Clair received the fatal news with 
blank paralyzing dismay. No tears would come to her 
relief. Oh I that silent agony of the soul ! There was 
little outward manifestation of her feelings, scarcely a 
ripple on the surface ; it was all deep down in those 
depths where the inward nature is wrung with unutter- 
able torture — evidenced by the unstrung and nerveless 
frame, the blanched countenance, the fixed and glassy 
eye, the bloodless and wordless lips. Her recognition 
of person and place seemed lost ; her whole being was 
stunned and blasted, as if the withering hand of fate 
had struck her down. That wise, that good, that vir- 
tuous woman, who from early youth had obeyed the 
dictates of an enlightened conscience, and followed the 
leadings of a higher intelligence — on her had fallen a 
jtrain of evils beyond her own power to remove, without 
fault on her part, either in their origin or consummation. 


woman’s endurance. 


265 


Why is it, 0 Heaven I that the good, the noble in heart 
and soul, are made to pass through the fire, and wade 
through such deep waters ? 

But, how was it with Lillian ? The contrast was 
great between Mrs. Le Clair and her daughter. The 
one, bowed down and thoroughly broken in spirit, was 
the personification of deep, silent sorrow. The other 
was terrible as the roused tigress. She wished to hunt 
down the murderer of her father. If she could only 
catch him, she would tear him to^ieces — she would tor- 
ture and slay him. Nothing could allay her maniac 
fury and soothe that terribly excited being, until the fires 
raging in her breast burned themselves out. Even then, 
her entire frame shook and heaved with convulsive 
throes, long after the first paroxysms of her wrath had 
subsided — like the dead swell of the ocean, after having 
been lashed to fury by the storm. 

How changed was that so lately quiet and happy 
home ! Every member of that family circle was pros- 
trated by the fatal blow. They mourned the loss of one 
whose place could not be supplied. 

After a searching investigation of the cause and man- 
ner of the death of Mr. Le Clair, but one conclusion could 
be arrived at ; and that was, that he had been murdered 
by the dark-minded villain against whom, in the litiga- 
tion of his suit, Mr. Le Clair had so righteously decided. 
The next point to be considered was, how to arrest the 
guilty fugitive. He was known to be daring, cunning, 
and unscrupulous, and no one would dare to attack him 
openly. As to stratagem, he was a match for the whole 
tribe. It was concluded by the neighboring tribes that 
they would hunt him down like a wild beast. 

12 


266 


LILLIAN; OR, 


Though thus united in purpose and prompt in action, 
they soon found their design not easy of accomplish- 
ment ; for, after the perpetration of the foul deed, the 
fiend had started off in a direct northern line. It was 
not possible to find his trail; as he had left no footprints 
or any other indications that marked his line of progress 
through the dense and tangled forest. Weeks and 
months passed, but without any trace or tidings of the 
outlawed vagabond. At length a party of his tribe, far 
away in the North on a hunting excursion, had their at- 
tention attracted by the trunk of a large oak-tree which 
had been riven and prostrated by a stroke of lightning. 
The party approached the spot to examine the thing 
more closely, and found, to their utter astonishment, 
close to the shattered and blasted tree, the entire bare 
and bleached bones of what, on examination, proved to 
be the remains of an Indian. Their suspicions were at 
once excited that these bones might prove to be the re- 
mains of the man who had murdered Mr. Le Clair. A 
bow and arrows, and a number of Indian ornaments 
and other articles, found at the spot, confirmed them in 
the correctness of their conjecture. Another proof this, 
that though the guilty one may escape punishment by his 
fellow-man, he is sure at length to meet the vengeance 
of Heaven. It was generally supposed that the wretch 
had taken shelter under the spreading branches of the 
tree, to screen himself from a passing storm, and that, 
being attacked and devoured by wolves, his shelter 
proved his ruin. 

But, to return to the home of the late Mr. Le Clair. 
Fearful indeed to his family were the results of their 
sudden bereavement. Before this calamity, Mrs. Le 


woman’s endurance. 


267 


Clair had known what it was to endure the loss of a 
fond husband in the death of Captain Walters. But 
that affliction came upon her by slow degrees, so that 
she had time and opportunity afforded her to nerve her- 
self, and to brace her mind to meet it. But in this case, 
so sudden wr,s the shock, that it gave her mind no 
chance to rally its forces ; and her native energy, which 
had so often carried her triumphantly through other 
trying scenes, was now paralyzed and impotent. Both 
mother and daughter seemed at times as if brought to 
the very verge of life. But their vigorous constitutions, 
with tender care, carried them through, and they were 
soon in the enjoyment of their wonted health. Yet, a 
chill had passed over their spirits that seemed to have 
new-moulded their natures, and to have given a subdued 
tone to their whole being. Mrs. Le Clair was most cer- 
tainly a sadder woman. She sometimes thought, she 
would say, that she was a centre where the ills of life 
converged, directing their barbed shafts at her very 
soul. In spite of her efforts to fortify her mind with the 
higher sentiments of divine truth, these thoughts would 
too often intrude. But this sad event had accomplished 
for Lillian what other occurrences in her past life were 
powerless to effect, for she came out of this fiery ordeal a 
sedate and thoughtful woman. Prior to this, no sorrow 
had ever touched her heart ; but now her nature was 
softened, her spirit humbled, and her slumbering sym- 
pathies for her mother fully aroused. The memories of 
her father were now clustering around her heart, afford- 
ing inexhaustible and elevating subjects for reflection. 
She now saw his virtues, which she had not appreciated 
in the living parent, stand out in bold and striking promi- 


268 


LILLIAN; OR, 


nence. And these sympathies and memories proved, as 
it were, a ballast, to steady her hitherto wild and erratic 
nature. She had grown wiser at a fearful expense, but 
the lessons she had learned, and the discipline she had 
been subjected to, might yet be of priceless value to 
her. To employ language that will fully meet her case, 
we would say that she was decidedly more domestic in 
all her habits. 

Lillian had, by nature, a strong and vigorous intellect, 
and her mind had been highly cultivated by both father 
and mother. Her imagination had been excited and 
fed by listening to the old Indian squaws, who related 
the glowing legendary tales current among their tribes ; 
and her fancy was of the liveliest type. As she had 
become of late more reflective, she would often sit by 
herself in silence, as though musing on some deeply 
absorbing subject. Then again, she would warble some 
plaintive tune, as though actuated by a superhuman 
agency. Indeed, she seemed inspired by the very spirit 
of song, for she would often breathe forth her very soul 
in entrancing melody. 

One day, when Lillian was bordering on the age of 
seventeen, she had wandered away some distance from 
the house, near to the neighboring woods, and within 
sight of the banks of Lake Ontario. Sitting down on 
the trunk of a fallen tree, while the luxuriant foliage of 
a large maple formed a canopy that shielded her from 
the rays of the sun, she was soon lost, in this seclusion, 
in one of her dreamy fits, her eye wandering over the 
expanse of water before her. She plucked a beautiful 
wild-rose from its stem, and, in a state of mental abstrac- 
tion, separated the rose leaf by leaf, laying the leaves 


woman’s endurance. 


269 


on her lap. She would now and again raise her eyes, 
survey the lake and the woods, and then look tow- 
ards the house, her home. A deep sigh would now and 
then escape her, when she would pluck another rose, 
then another, and still another, until on her lap, and all 
around her, lay the wreck of many roses. At length, 
as though she had been seized with somewhat of her old 
wild spirit, she struck up one of her favorite love-ditties. 
At once, she seemed to be completely beside herself ; 
h^r soul seemed rapt, and her spirit ready to take wing 
and fly away. The very woods, too, seemed inspired, 
for 'echo answered to echo, with such varied cadence, 
that it was as if a company of minstrels were chanting 
praises in unearthly strains. When she had flnished 
the song, she again relapsed into silence and musing 
as before. But hark I what is that she hears ? It was 
surely the same tune that she herself had just been war- 
bling. Was it the Great Spirit of whom the old squaw 
had so often spoken, who was thus answering her from 
his dwelling-place ? If not, what could it be, she had 
never heard any thing like it before ? Her mind, im- 
pressed with a kind of awe, was agitated, and in this 
state she started for her home. It was more of a reli- 
gious feeling with which she was impressed than alarm, 
for she was not so easily frightened ; but this was so 
very strange I When she arrived at home, she tried in 
the best way she could to explain to her mother this 
strange and wonderful music ; but it was utterly unex- 
plainable, it was so unearthly — it must be the Great 
Spirit. Her mother came to the conclusion that Lillian, 
falling asleep in one of her musing fits, had been dream- 
ing, and awaking from her dream, had started home 


270 


LILLIAN; OB, 


in a fright. Lillian^s protestations to the contrary di I 
not change the mind of Mrs. Le Clair, who still believed 
her daughter must in some way be mistaken. Though 
fully satisfied, Lillian determined on investigating the 
matter further, and for this purpose visited the same 
place on the following afternoon. Arriving there, she 
chanted one of her sweetest songs, which she had no 
sooner concluded, than she heard the same strain re- 
peated, but with a soft, flowing sweetness to which her 
ear was a stranger. She now became fully enlightened 
as to the nature and source of the sweet strains with 
which she had been so enraptured — some person, hear- 
ing her sing, had responded by repeating the same tune 
on the flute. Her curiosity was so far excited, that 
she wished for a more intimate knowledge of the per- 
former who could produce such dulcet melody from his 
instrument. Her wish was sooner gratified than she 
had anticipated. On turning her attention and direct- 
ing her steps towards a narrow path that led through 
a dense undergrowth of brush into the woods, a man 
emerged from this path, and fully confronted her. He 
was dressed in the prim uniform of a sergeant of the 
English army. They were both greatly confused, stand- 
ing silently contemplating each other, as if, for the mo- 
ment, they had lost all power of utterance. At length, 
the sergeant, raising his cap in a very graceful manner, 
said — »■ 

“ Excuse me. Miss ; I hope I am not rudely intruding 
myself on your privacy ?” 

Lillian, greatly embarrassed, and with face suffused 
with blushes, replied — 

“ I have been too venturesome, I fear, in coming thus 


woman’s endurance. 271 

far alone ; but I was attracted by music executed by 
some person playing on the flute.” 

“ Yes,” said the sergeant, holding out a beautiful 
silver-mounted flute, with a number of silver keys at- 
tached, “ it was I who was playing, in response to some 
delightful vocal strains that reached my ear from this 
direction. I heard a melody that used to be a favorite 
one of my mother^s — one with which she used to delight 
me when a boy. You may be sure that, as I listened, 
my mind was stirred with sweet memories of other days 
and places, and of loved ones I may never see again. 
If I have grown too stern for tears, believe me. Miss, 
that I find my heart still in possession of all its native 
tenderness.” 

As he uttered these words, gazing upon the lovely 
girl before him, his soul seemed speaking from every 
feature ; so that it was not so much the words as the 
impressive manner of their delivery that gave a still 
deeper tinge to the blushes on the face of Lillian. He 
had excited her sympathy, and with much feeling she 
asked — 

“Have you a mother?” 

“ I had,” was the laconic reply. 

“ Have you a father, then ?” asked Lillian, with much 
simplicity and assured confidence. . 

“ I had one,” was again the reply of the sergeant. 

At this stage of the interview Lillian began to show 
signs of restlessness, and, looking in the direction of her 
home, said, with much feeling — 

“ Excuse me, sir, I must be going ; my mother will 
be expecting me, and will consider me as tarrying too 
long ;” at the same time, with a gentle movement of 


272 


LILLIAN; OR 


Tier hand and an inclination of her head, in her tender 
musical tones taking leave of him with, “ Good-day, sir,” 
she turned to go towards her home. The sergeant, re- 
spectfully raising his cap, and with much gallantry 
thrown into a graceful bow, bade her adieu. But the 
sergeant found it not easy to leave the spot, for he stood 
there, looking after Lillian, admiring the dignity and 
grace of her movement as she receded from him. The 
words escaped his lips, “ What a beautiful girl ! what a 
brilliant creature I” We would inform the reader that 
Sergeant George Hargreaves belonged to a regiment 
then stationed in Canada, and the company of this regi- 
ment to which he was attached was then on detached 
duty close by the residence of Mrs. Le Clair. They had 
been placed there, only a few days before the above in- 
terview took place, in consequence of some apprehended 
difficulty with one of the tribes of Indians and some of 
the farmers on the outskirts of the white settlements. 

As Lillian wended her way homeward, she found that 
she carried with her a new image imprinted on her heart. 
When she arrived at home, she informed her mother 
that she had found out all about the music she had heard 
in the woods — that it was a person playing on a flute ; 
but she said as little as possible about the performer 
himself. However, if she said little, she thought much, 
and felt still more ; for Cupid had shot his arrows, and 
they had entered her heart. Previous to the above in- 
terview, Lillian had had little if any intercourse with 
people of the outside world. Her acquaintance had been 
confined to the sons and daughters of the neighboring 
farmers, and to the Indians who visited her fathers 
office on affairs connected with their own personal inter- 


woman’s endurance. 


273 


ests, or those of their different tribes ; so that, when 
she first saw Sergeant Hargreaves, with his handsome, 
manly form and features, his neat-fitting dress, his su- 
perior action, and his dashing manner, she at once con- 
cluded that he must, of course, be of high rank in the 
army, and that he must be good, as he spoke so tenderly 
of his mother. With this general outline, her imagina- 
tion was not slow in filling up a picture suited to her 
fancy, and this picture was engraven in deep and in- 
effaceable characters on her soul. It was the same with 
Hargreaves in regard to Lillian : although he had trav- 
elled and seen much of the world, and his heart had 
been thus far impervious to the charms of the fairer 
sex, yet now, when he saw Lillian, it juelded like the 
delicate rose to the influence of the genial shower and 
the life-awakening rays of the sun. The appearance 
and manners of Lillian had carried his heart captive ; but 
there was a doubt whether she could ever be his. He was 
but a sergeant ; and if she belonged to an aristocratic 
family, might not his profession and inferior position 
prove insuperable obstacles to his suit ? At all events, 
on the morrow he would call at their residence. Sleep 
made but fitful visits to the eyes of Hargreaves during 
the intervening night — his thoughts were with Lillian, 
fluttering in ecstasy around her, admiringly contem- 
plating her fine form, her lofty mien, the sparkling 
splendor of her eyes, every feature of her noble counte- 
nance. 

Hargreaves paid the purposed visit on the following 
morning, with a trembling heart and many misgivings. 
He did not forget, however, to take his flute with him, 
the magic influence of which had already been acknowl- 
12 * 


274 : 


LILLIAN; OR, 


edged by Lillian. He introduced himself with a cour- 
teous freedom, explaining the cause of himself and his 
company being in the neighborhood ; then, in an off- 
hand way, alluded to his interview of the previous even- 
ing with Lillian, attracted thither by hearing her sing 
an air with which he was familiar, having learned it 
from his mother when a boy at home. 

He kept the conversation going in a spirited and 
agreeable style for some time, when, observing the ele- 
gant piano, with a pile of music close by it, he, without 
showing much apparent interest in the thing, approached 
it, and, sitting down on the stool, swept his fingers over 
the keys, eliciting a burst of admiration from both Lillian 
and her mother. Then, playing the tune he had heard 
Lillian. sing the day before — exciting and interesting still 
more deeply those whose good opinion he wished to se- 
cure, and having, as he no doubt divined, made an im- 
pression on their minds favorable to himself — with all 
the suavity that he could throw into his manner, urging 
the calls of duty, he left them. But he was not allowed 
to depart without receiving an invitation, while his com- 
pany remained in the neighborhood, and as opportunity 
offered, to pay them a visit. 

After Hargreaves had left the house, Mrs. Le Clair 
and Lillian expressed the opinion that, while a finished 
musician, his manners were those of a polished gentle- 
man. In the course of their conversation, Mrs. Le Clair 
was pained by the revelation of a fact she had before 
little dreamed of. Lillian, she saw, from her exagger- 
ated praise of the personal appearance and mental at- 
tractions of the gay-looking and gifted sergeant, had 
lost control of her feelings ; and she began to throw 


woman’s endurance. 275 

out words of caution, and to urge disparaging probabili- 
ties in regard to the stranger. The difference, she said, 
between the rank and position of her first husband, Cap- 
tain Walters, and this Hargreaves, who was only a ser- 
geant, was too great. But this was now a waste of 
words ; it came too late, for the mischief was already 
done, if there was niischief in it ; it was like throwing 
oil upon the smouldering fire. As usual in such cases, 
her mother’s words but increased her fervor in defending 
Hargreaves. A man who so prided himself in recollec- 
tions of his mother, she pleaded, and cherished such feel- 
ings in her regard, must have a pure and tender heart, 
and certainly could not be a bad man. 

Sergeant Hargreaves visited the house of Mrs. Le 
Clair on the following morning ; for, with heart en- 
thralled and vibrating between hope and fear, he could 
have no happiness but in assurance of the success of 
his suit. He was yet ignorant of the influence he was 
exerting over the heart of Lillian. When he made his 
appearance, he might have perceived by her manner, 
and the hearty reception she gave him, that his presence 
was not unwelcome. Though Mrs. Le Clair exhibited 
her usual affability, and seemed to give a cordial recep- 
tion to Hargreaves, yet there was a strong under-current 
setting in an opposite direction. She, however, knew 
the resolute mind and determined will of Lillian, and 
rightly concluded, that if the passion of love once gained 
possession of her heart, it would overbear all obstacles, 
and even a mother’s arguments, commands, and entreaties 
be powerless to control it or change its course — it would 
burn on. As we have said before, if there was mischief 
in that, it was already accomplished. Lillian had lost 


276 


LILLIAN; OR, 


all control over her feelings, so strong was the passion 
of love in her heart. The presence of Hargreaves had 
now become necessary to her peace and happiness ; for, 
during his absence, she was restless and unsatisfied with 
every thing. It was the same with Hargreaves, who 
was never himself while out of the company of Lillian ; 
hence all the time he could command was spent in her 
society. 

Mrs. Le Clair observed with a painful interest the 
scene passing before her in her own home, and in which 
LiMian was, to her, the most prominent object, but which 
she had been powerless to change in any way. She 
dreaded the loss of her only child, in her now widowed 
and lonely state. And then she knew, herself, what it 
was to be a soldier’s wife, to have no settled resting- 
place, but to be a wanderer over the world, even with 
the privileges and advantages at the command of a 
captain. Then, how must it be with the wife of a ser- 
geant, at the best but little superior to one of a private 
soldier ? It was agonizing to reflect on the exposure to 
temptation, the dangers and discomforts to which Lillian 
would be subjected. All this she urged on her daughter, 
but to no purpose. She frankly and calmly informed her 
mother, that but one choice was left her — between 
George Hargreaves as her husband, with whatever con- 
sequences might follow, or an early grave. Mrs. Le 
Clair was eventually compelled to yield, though with a 
tardy and unwilling acquiescence. 

When things had come to this state, Hargreaves him- 
self began to take a more sober view of circumstances 
than he had hitherto done ; and asked himself, what, if 
he did marry Lillian, would he do with so beautiful a 


woman’s endurance. 


277 


creature, either on the march, in camp, or in barracks ? 
So perplexed was his mind with these thoughts, that he 
ventured to throw out a hint on this subject to Lillian. 
He soon found that he was stepping on sacred ground. 
His thought was no sooner broached, than Lillian, fully 
comprehending its import, directed a look towards him 
that seemed to penetrate his inner being, for he quailed 
before, her. She proudly asked him if he doubted the 
purity or the sincerity of her love, or the strength of her 
mind ? But the candid and manly avowal of his full and 
entire confidence in her at once calmed her excited spirit, 
and the current of their love went smoothly on as ever. 

After this, not a day passed without their spending a 
portion of it in each other’s company ; and at each in- 
terview some new feature in their character was devel- 
oped, which tended to strengthen their attachment : 
they each found in the other some mental excellence, 
some accomplishment, that they little dreamed of at 
their first acquaintance. 

When he first met Lillian, Hargreaves saw she was 
beautiful, but she might prove to be an uninformed rus- 
tic girl, brought up in the woods, and who had asso- 
ciated only with the untutored youngsters of the neigh- 
borhood. What was his surprise when he found her 
able to converse fluently in several languages, while her 
knowledge of music was of a high order ; with a voice, 
in power and sweetness, of rare excellence, and nothing 
of the rustic in her bearing and manners I She, on the 
other hand, found in the sergeant at once the polished 
gentleman and the ripe scholar. 

In this connection, we may as well give the reader 
some general idea of the antecedents of Hargreaves. 


278 


LILLIAN; OR, 


He was a younger son of an aristocratic family in the 
south of England, which had been reduced in circum- 
stances by being engaged in a long and expensive law- 
suit, the whole estate having been thrown into the Court 
of Chancery. Although he had received a high classical 
education, yet Hargreaves had been so reduced as to 
be without any present means of obtaining a living. 
Being of too proud a spirit to labor in a subordinate 
position, or to be dependent on relatives without labor, 
and also of a romantic turn of mind and fond of ad- 
venture, he went to a distant part of the country, where 
he was not personally known, and there enlisted as a 
common soldier, with the determination of raising him- 
self in the army by his own merit. At the time of his 
first introduction to our notice, in his* interview with 
Lillian, he was about twenty-three years of age ; and 
in the short space of two years, had, by good behavior 
and strict attention to the duties of his station, risen to 
the position of sergeant in the company to which he 
belonged, with a fair prospect of still further advance- 
ment. 

Here, then, Hargreaves and Lillian are presented to 
us, as a couple of young, ardent, and romantic beings, 
comparatively ignorant of the world, and of the stern 
realities and demands of the world’s life. Hence, to 
rush into each other’s arms and link their fortunes for 
life, was a present bliss ; and they were not anxious to 
pry far into the future. As usual, in such cases, the 
good wishes and congratulations of the young and un- 
thinking outweigh the doubts and surmisings of cooler 
and more thoughtful heads. But, be it for weal or for 
woe, the union was now a fact, to the joy of the two 


woman’s endurance. 279 

most deeply interested. After the nuptials, none could 
be more happy than the wedded pair just launched upon 
a summer sea, with a favoring breeze, their bark well- 
provisioned, and bound for el3"sian climes. But, meta- 
phor apart, as far as material necessaries and even lux- 
uries were concerned, they were amply provided ; and so 
on that score their hearts were at ease. 

Lillian, soon after her union with Hargreaves, was 
deeply pained by the arrival of marching orders for 
the company to which he belonged. Of course he 
had to go with the command. Here was now realized 
one of the contingencies that had so perplexed and 
afflicted the mind of Mrs. Le Clair, and now it came 
home with all its distressing force to the mind and heart 
of Lillian. She had to leave her mother, and her home, 
with all its tender associations and terrible recollections. 
She visited the grave of her murdered father, and, as 
she had often done, bedewed it with her tears. But, 
when the moment came for her to bid adieu to her fond 
mother, she manifested intense sorrow. In a paroxysm 
of agony she cried out — 

“ My mother 1 oh, my mother, how can I leave you I 
you, to whom I am so deeply indebted — you, who have 
borne so mildly with my wild freaks, and so patiently 
striven to inform my ignorance, and correct all my way- 
wardness — you, to whom I owe whatever of good I pos- 
sess ! But I know the nature of the vows I have as- 
sumed ; and I know, too, that my heart and my person 
now belong to another, and duty demands our separa- 
tion, however painful it may prove to our feelings. 
But, mother, when I cease to remember you, when my 
warmest affections cool in the least towards you, may 


280 


LILLIAN; OR, 


Heaven no longer smile upon me ! But, mother, that 
can never be ; no, never will I forget you, my mother 

Her mother was deeply moved at this passionate dis- 
play of Lillian’s vehement feelings, and the wounds of 
her heart seemed to be opened afresh. She, however, 
had more command over herself than had Lillian ; for 
she had already been led through deep waters, had been 
in many a fiery furnace, and had not come out of them 
altogether unscathed, and still bore the marks of them 
burned into her very soul. Bowing with deep submission 
to this heavy afifiiction, she held her peace, fully believ- 
ing and acknowledging that this, as well as other be- 
reavements she had endured, were among the “ all 
things” that would eventually work together for her 
good. 

After the departure of Lillian with her husband, Mrs. 
Le Clair calmly considered her situation, and felt all the 
loneliness of her condition. But a comparatively short 
time previous to this, she was happy in the possession 
of every earthly good, — with a loving and tender husband, 
and a daughter, who, with unsurpassed attractions, had a 
heart as pure as it was affectionate, she was rich in all 
the blessings an indulgent Providence could bestow. 
But now she was a widow ; and, to add to all her other 
sorrows, she had lost her daughter, her only child — 
leaving a dreary blank in that household of which she 
had been the chief ornament. But, stricken and smitten 
as she was, she bravely bore up, and with her usual 
fortitude met every duty, assiduously supervising every 
department of labor that required her attention on the 
farm, as well as the more immediate household work. 
As if a stranger to fatigue, she was up early, and late 


281 


woman’s endueance. 

took rest ; and she had the pleasing satisfaction to 
know, that not only was hers the largest, but that it 
was also the best cultivated farm in all that district, 
and promised the finest and most abundant crops. 

There had been a good deal of private gossip at Lil- 
lian’s expense between Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Brown, both 
before and after her marriage with Sergeant Hargreaves. 
It had been a matter of astonishment with them that 
Lillian did not look higher than a sergeant for a hus- 
band ; and they were much surprised that Mrs. Le Clair 
did not use her authority, and not allow her daughter to 
marry a stranger like Hargreaves. Why, in their esti- 
mation, it was no better than if she had married a pri- 
vate soldier 1 

“ As to that,” said Mrs. Jones, “ he may be reduced 
to a private yet, for what one knows, if he should get 
out with any of the officers.” 

“ Yes, indeed,” said Mrs. Brown, “ for I’ve often and 
often known that to be the case.” 

“ Yes, indeed, and so have I,” said Mrs. Jones ; “ and 
then what’ll become of all the fine things the old Indian 
witch said about her ? But,” she continued, “ I always 
thought, and said, that it was nothing but downright 
blasphemy ; and it has all come to what I always thought 
it would — that it would all end in smoke.” 

We give merely an outline of what was the general 
tone of their conversation ; but, as we have said, this 
was all private. 


282 


LILLIAN; OK, 


CHAPTER XXY. 

5 

We will now follow Lillian and her husband, and | 
learn how circumstances go with them. Lillian had ) 
been provided with a private conveyance to Montreal, 
she not wishing to go with the baggage of the company. 
When they arrived in Montreal, Hargreaves procured 
private lodgings for his wife, in a retired place not far ■ 
from the barracks ; and in this place, free from the in- 
trusion of the inquisitive and the prying eyes of the 
curious, they enjoyed themselves and were happy. But . 
Lillian, who had aforetime roamed abroad at will, and 
breathed the pure and invigorating air of heaven, could 
not act the recluse. By the directions of her husband, - 
as well as to gratify her own wishes, she would often 
stroll along the bank of the noble St. Lawrence, admir- 
ing the grandeur of the scenery, and rambling whither- 
soever her inclination led her. But a person of her ap- 
pearance could not long pursue this course without at- 
tracting the observation of men, and especially that of 
the officers of the regiment to which Hargreaves be- > 
longed. One might presume that it was (at the latter ' 
part of the last century, though, of course, it is not so ' 
now) the main object of the lives of a majority of the j 
officers of the British army to find out, to admire, to ,, 
insult, if not to seduce, beautiful women. It appeared ^ 
that one of the younger officers had noticed Lillian while i 


woman’s endurance. 283 

on one of her excursive rambles. He was especially 
attracted by her fine figure and majestic mien : of more 
than these he was not able to judge, for her face was 
covered by a heavy veil. But he had seen enough to 
excite his curiosity, and was not long in communicating 
the knowledge of his discovery to some of his chums. 
This information caused quite a flutter among the mem- 
bers of the officers’ mess-room. Inquiry was made, and 
conjecture exhausted, as to who this strange beauty 
could be. On the morrow, to learn who she was and 
her place of residence, scouts were thrown out in every 
direction, who visited every place where it was under-, 
stood she was in the habit of taking her accustomed 
walks. 

The mystery these conspirators against female virtue 
had set out to solve remained for some days undevel- 
oped ; but this was not for want of vigilance in the 
pursuers of mischief. At length, however, these harpies 
were so far successful as to find out that Lillian was a 
married woman, the wife of Sergeant Hargreaves. They 
were surprised at this discovery, and disappointed ; but 
they were not dismayed, for it could not be supposed 
that a sergeant would be allowed to stand as an ob- 
stacle in the way of the attainment of the wishes of his 
superiors. They therefore laid their heads together and 
set their wits to work to obtain possession of the coveted 
prize. Many schemes were suggested, discussed, and 
then laid aside, as being impracticable. But there was 
one of these officers — and we are not sure that he was 
more deeply steeped in vice, or that his soul was more 
oblivious of virtue than the rest — who suggested that 
Hargreaves should be dispatched on some message that 


would require his absence from the regiment foi ten 
days or a fortnight. This would afford them ample time 
to accomplish their diabolical purpose. The scheme so ; 
deliberately planned was soon in process of execution. 
Hargreaves, with a file of men, was sent to a distant 
locality to arrest a deserter, who, the command had 
lately been informed, was residing at the place indi- 
cated in the warrant. No sooner had Hargreaves been I 
started on his journey, than the officers who had joined j 
in this nefarious plot were all on the alert. They visited I 
all the places which Lillian was known to have fre- i 
quented, but to no purpose. She was not to be found | 
for some time, and that for the very good reason that ; 
she had never left her own room since her husband went 
away. But at length, her patience having been severely ^ 
tested, and anxious for the return of her husband, Lillian 
stepped to the door, and was standing there, her eyes ! 
glancing one way and another, when one of the boldest 
and most dashing officers of the regiment came suddenly 
up to her, and in a very polite and gallant way raised 
his hat, and making his obeisance, said — 

“ Mrs. Hargreaves, I presume ?” 

Lillian, with a dignified air, and without much embar- 
rassment, said, “ Yes, sir.” 

He then said, “ I have, for some time, felt a strong 
desire to make your acquaintance, I have heard so much 
of your personal attractions ; but now I. find that the 
half has not been told me. Where has so much excel- 
lence been hiding itself until now, my sweet creature ?” 

As the officer was thus proceeding with his empty and < 
fulsome flattery, Lillian kept stepping backwards, while j 
the officer continued his advance towards her, until they ;| 


woman’s endurance. 


2S5 


were both within the room, when he closed the door. 
Lillian’s face became suffused with a deep scarlet ; but 
this was not like the blushes that often came in response 
to the fond caresses of her husband. It was an unmis- 
takable indication of stern resentment, and an indignant 
rebuke of her insulted womanhood. Her eyes flashed 
dreadful fire — her whole frame became rigid, and seemed 
to assume vaster proportions. The officer seeing this, 
and supposing it to be evidence of fear, presumed to 
place his hand upon her bare shoulder, saying at the 
same time, “ Do not be alarmed, my sweet angel. The 
words were scarcely out of his mouth when Lillian ex- 
hibited somewhat of her old rage, for, like the aroused 
tigress, she flew at him, and caught him with a gripe 
from which he was utterly unable to extricate himself. 
And then, with more than masculine- strength, she 
dashed him with such force to the floor, that for a mo- 
ment he appeared stunned. Now, with one hand she 
"held a firm gripe on his throat, and plied his face with 
the other with such vigor, that it was soon so disfigured 
that his friends would hardly have recognized him. 

At this stage of things, who should open the door 
and step into the room but her husband. As may be 
supposed, he stood there confounded, immovable, for a 
moment. But when his first feeling of amazement, which 
was but for a moment, had subsided, he sprang forward 
and endeavored to lift his wife from off her prostrate 
victim ; but so tenacious was her grasp upon his throat, 
that it was only by an exertion of his main strength 
he could make her let go her hold. And even then he 
with difficulty restrained her, as she seemed determined 
to take his life. In fact, there was something superhu* 


286 


LILLIA.N; OR, 


man in her wrath and in her whole appearance — so much 
so, that even her husband was terrified at the sight. 
Her Indian blood was boiling within her — her brain was 
on fire — and she was consequently regardless of any 
results that might follow. It was fortunate for the of- 
ficer, and even for Lillian herself, that Hargreaves made 
his appearance when he did, for the officer might, other- 
wise, in a short time have been with those beyond the 
flood. 

While Hargreaves and Lillian were thus wrestling, he 
to restrain her, and she, fierce as a tiger, striving to re- 
new the attack, the officer, thus liberated, was not slow 
in making good his retreat, with his handkerchief over 
his disfigured face, making his way as best he could to 
his quarters. When there, he sent for the surgeon of 
the regiment, to whom he made a lame and impotent 
excuse for the condition in which that gentleman found 
him ; and it was only to two or three of the officers, 
who were in the secret of the plot, that he made a state- 
ment of his experience in his encounter with Lillian. 
He declared that Lillian was, beyond all question, the 
most beautiful woman he had ever seen ; but, he said, 
she is a perfect she-devil. 

It was some time before Lillian calmed down suffi- 
ciently to give Hargreaves any thing like an intelligible 
statement of the above circumstances, a part of which he 
had himself witnessed. Having heard the whole story, 
he could not but approve of the conduct of Lillian, al- 
though he foresaw that trouble to himself was almost 
sure to arise out of this untoward event. And it was 
not long before he found, to his intense mortification, 
that nearly all the officers of the regiment made it a 


woman’s endurance. 


287 


point to outrage his feelings in every possible way. 
They soon found a paltry pretext as an excuse to break 
him as a sergeant, and reduce him to the ranks, al- 
though he had purposely been on his guard, highly ex- 
emplary in all his words and actions, and attentive to 
his duty. But, guilty or not, they had injured him, 
therefore they could not forgive him. They had been 
disappointed in their nefarious schemes upon the honor 
and virtue of his wife, therefore they made him the ob- 
ject at which they aimed their envenomed darts. The 
military profession, through all its grades, is a system 
of espionage and sycophancy, the inferior cringing to 
the superior, and the superior lording it over the infe- 
rior. Hence, if it was desired by a superior oflScer to 
make his inferior an offender for a word even, he had 
always his tools at hand, to assist him in carrying out 
his purpose — ready to swear away the character of the 
innocent. And oh, how sadly, was this put in practice 
in the case of George Hargreaves I Every ear being 
closed against him, there was no tribunal to which he 
could submit his complaints. He was but a private 
soldier, and it was his duty to submit without a mur- 
mur, however harsh and overbearing might be the con- 
duct of his superiors. Such was the dictum of his 
self-constituted judges. He now clearly saw that evil 
was hedging him around, and that he was without any 
way of escape. With feelings tortured by the insults 
and contumely he was daily suffering, it would be no 
wonder if a word should escape him, in some measure 
expressive of a sense of the unmerited wrongs he was 
enduring. We give an instance in point. The second 
lieutenant, a small, beardless upstart, was inspecting the 


288 


LILLI A N ; o i:, , 


arms aud accoutrements of the company, and on coming 
to Hargreaves, who was always one of the trimmest, 
and cleanest-looking men of the company, unjustly 
taunted him with being negligent and dirty. On hear- 
ing this aspersion cast upon him, Hargreaves turned, 
and said, ’^ith some abruptness, that when he cleaned 
them, he left not a spot upon them. The boy-oflBcer, 
with an assumption of false dignity, and his face red- 
dening with rage, said, “ Do you charge me with being 
a liar, sir V’ and calling a corporal and a file of men, < 
ordered them to take Hargreaves to the guard-house. 

It was easy for the oflScer to bring witnesses who, with 
a little coloring of the circumstances, could make out of 
this a gross act of disobedience when on duty and in 
the ranks ; and, as the maintenance of strict discipline 
in the regiment was indispensable, this aggravated case 
could not be overlooked, aud must not be allowed to 
pass unpunished. 

A case was soon made out against Hargreaves, and 
a court-marshal convened for his trial. We would re- 
mark here, that Hargreaves had scrupulously kept from 
Lillian the knowledge of all the annoyances he had en- 
dured, from a fear that she might charge herself with 
being the cause of all his suffering, by the deserved 
chastisement she had inflicted on the officer who insulted 
her. When she did first hear that he was placed in the 
guard-house, and was about to be tried by court-martial, 
she was greatly excited ; and with untiring solicitude, 
availing herself of every chance to obtain a hearing, she , 
pleaded earnestly for his release. But she sued in vain ; ^ 
they were determined on avenging the shame and suf- j 
fering of a brother officer. Nothing, therefore, would I 


woman’s endurance. 


289 


satisfy them but the disgrace of their victim, as a fitting 
atonement for their wounded pride and disappointed 
lust. As the self-created judges of Hargreaves had all 
things their own way, it was easy for them to select 
their tools as members of the court-martial. 

When the day arrived for this court to convene and 
sit in solemn dignity to carry out the farce of a trial, 
the manacled victim was brought before them ; and 
while he stood there, in all the dignity of conscious 
innocence, not one of his guilty judges could meet the 
steady gaze of his flashing eye. But the purpose of 
these men was to try, to condemn, to punish, and it was 
to mask their purpose with the forms of law, that the 
Judge- Advocate delivered his pompous harangue, and 
the few suborned witnesses were all examined. From 
the address of the Judge- Advocate, one would have 
thought that the prisoner had been guilty of treason, or 
some other high crime against Government. He espe- 
cially dwelt upon the great necessity of curbing the 
insubordination of the common soldier ; and descanted 
upon the great disparity that existed between them and 
the officers of the British army, who were invariably 
selected from the upper and educated classes. And 
that the different grades might fully understand their 
proper level, and the duties of their separate stations, 
and that the lower might not infringe upon the upper 
with impunity, he called upon the members of the 
court-martial to make an example of the prisoner be- 
fore them, as a warning to every common soldier in this, 
or any other regiment under the British crown. After 
this insult to humanity and common sense, to say nothing 
of justice, the court were left alone with closed doors, to 

13 


290 


LILLIAN; OR, 


bring in their finding, which was an easy matter, and 
quickly done. The findings of the court were, that the 
prisoner, George Hargreaves, had been guilty of gross 
insubordination in the ranks, using impertinent and in- 
sulting language to his officer, while that officer was 
performing his official duty, according to the usages and 
general practice' of the British army. And that the said 
court, each and all of them, declare the prisoner guilty, 
and adjudge him to the infliction and punishment of nine 
hundred lashes, to be received on his bare back. Pray- 
ing that this verdict may be sanctioned and approved 
by the general commanding this military district ; and 
that he appoint the time and place for said verdict to be 
put in execution. 

At the time when this transaction occurred, Montreal 
was included in the military district of Quebec, in which 
city the general commanding then resided. As, how- 
ever, the general was expected to be up in Montreal in 
a few days, the case of Hargreaves was kept in abeyance 
until his arrival. The general came as expected, and, 
without inquiry or investigation, endorsed the findings 
of the court-martial, by affixing his signature, and ap- 
pointing Monday morning of the following week as the 
time, and the barrack-yard as the place, for the consum- 
mation of this iniquitous and inhuman infraction of the 
laws of our common humanity. On the finding of the 
(jourt, the sentence, and the order of the general in com- 
mand being communicated to Hargreaves, as he lay in 
the dark, damp dungeon of the guard-house, the only 
expressions to which he gave utterance were, “ My God I 
is it so ? can it be possible ?’^ However deeply his mind 
may have been exercised, there was no perceptible alter- 


woman’s endurance. 


291 


ation in his outward appearance. It was not a stolid 
hardness or stoical indifference that supported him, but 
a manly courage, inspired by a consciousness of his in- 
nocence of any actual or intended wrong. The only re- 
quest he made was, that he might be permitted to see 
his wife. He knew well that the principal aim and 
design of his persecutors was to punish him, in order to 
bring grief to her heart, as the only satisfaction they 
could obtain to their fierce hate. 

When the deeply stricken Lillian entered the cell 
where her husband was confined, and was made fully 
aware of the lengths to which these fiends in human 
form, defiant at once of all right, of truth, and of justice, 
were determined to go, her heart sank within her, as 
she hung upon his breast and wept bitter tears. With 
deep emotion, she asked : “ Oh, my dear George, do you 
blame me for all this Tenderly and affectionately he 
begged her to banish all such thoughts from her mind ; 
counselling her, as they had been brought into this inex- 
tricable and inexplicable maze of suffering without any 
misdoings on their part, to allow providence to solve its 
own enigma ; that, if it should be that we can have no 
redress or satisfaction in this world, we may be sure 
there will be full compensation in the next. After 
deeply sympathizing with each other, and piously com- 
mitting their cause into His hands who seeth the end 
from the beginning, Lillian left her husband, and with 
hasty steps and a sad heart retired to her own room. 
And when there, as soon as she could collect her 
thoughts, she sat down and wrote to her mother a state- 
ment of the above painful events. 


292 


LILLIAN; OR, 


CHAPTER XXVL 

As there will be some time intervening before the 
carrying out of the sentence in the case of Hargrea^ es, 
we will take advantage of the interim to pay a visit to 
the upper province, and learn how things are progress- 
ing on the farm of Mrs. Le Clair, the late home of Lillian. 
It must be understood that the events of our narrative 
which are now being developed, are at least twenty 
years in advance of the arrival of Captain and Mrs. 
Walters at their new home. At that time it was a dense 
forest ; the woodman^s axe had scarcely made any im- 
pression ; and it was dijBficult for a novice to thread his 
way through the tangled brush, or to follow the winding 
and intricate paths that had been formed by the red- 
man, and the scarcely less savage animals with which 
it abounded. But now there was a complete transform- 
ation : fruitful fields and smiling plenty blessed and 
rewarded those who had spent years of patient toil for 
this pleasing result. The ornamental trees and shrubs 
that had been planted by Captain Walters, or soon after 
his death, now, by their vigorous growth, their luxuri- 
ant and beautiful foliage, lent a special charm to the 
scene, that captivated the eye and gratified the taste of 
the lover of the picturesque. And as may be supposed, 
great and important changes had taken place in the per- 
sonal and relative positions of all the parties composing 


woman’s endurance. 


293 


the original company. Mr. Brown and Mr. Jones had 
each been presented with valuable allotments of land 
by Mrs. Le Clair ; and by their industry and skilful 
management, had brought their improvements to a high 
state of perfection. The son of Brown and the daugh- 
ter of Jones, arrived at mature age, had linked their for- 
tunes for life ; and having been presented with a snug 
little farm by Mrs. Le Clair, were living in hopes of soon 
being surrounded by little pledges of their affection, to 
sweeten and adorn the future of their domestic life. 
Our old acquaintance, the facetious little Baptiste, now 
grown gray, feels the weight of years pressing heavily. 
Still, he appears to be a useful appendage to the home 
of Mrs. Le Clair. There was not much of him to look 
at when in the prime and vigor of life ; but he is now 
dwindled down to a mere shadow. Small in person 
as he may be, his consequential dignity and self-impor- 
tance have expanded to vaster proportions. But Bap- 
tiste must soon be gathered to his fathers, and these 
pages may be the only voucher of his ever having lived. 
The one who has been the principal theme of our narra- 
tive, does not present the bloom and vigor that she did 
when she first came under our notice. A period of more 
than twenty years has elapsed, and made sad work with 
the frame and figure of Mrs. Le Clair. But it has not 
been effected so much by the wear of time, as by the 
events through which she has had to pass. Her hearts 
sorrows have borne heavily lipon her ; and though her 
tongue may be mute and uncomplaining, still that noble 
countenance is a teller of sad tales. Although presen^ 
ing the appearance of a careworn matron, yet she has 
such elasticity of mind and mental vigor, that, if her 


294 


LILLIAN; OR 


words are few, they are weighty. And her personal 
influence is greater, as there is a more implicit obedience 
accorded to her wishes ; indeed, a profound deference is 
paid to her. This was seen in the progress made in all 
the operations on the farm in the year that Lillian left 
her home. It had been better and more extensively 
cultivated, and had yielded a more abundant crop than 
in any former year. And that crop had been carefully 
gathered and successfully garnered, so that her mind 
was comparatively at ease as to the future, and her 
time was more at her own command. She was thus left 
at liberty to give full scope to the benevolence of her 
disposition ; and as Providence had been so bountiful to 
her, she felt and acted as though she were only the al- 
moner of Heaven. Many a naked family were clothed, 
many a sad and sorrowful heart was made glad, by her 
sympathy and her material aid. 

One day Mrs. Le Clair started on one of her errands 
of mercy to a poor family in the neighborhood, and her 
own heart felt, as the good and pure under like circum- 
stances always feel, that in blessing she was blest. On 
returning, when at some distance from her home — 
that home which, but a few hours before, she had left 
abounding with such plenty — she was alarmed at seeing 
dense volumes of smoke filling the entire atmosphere. 
Her worst fears were excited ; for, judging from the 
direction in which the smoke was blown by the wind, it 
might prove to be her own property that was then in 
flames. And sure enough, as she emerged from the 
woods, there was spread out before her one vast sheet 
of flame, enveloping all that she possessed on earth, 
excepting what she then had with her. She saw all her 


woman’s endukance. 


295 


own domestics, as well as numbers of her neighbors, 
running about in a state of bewilderment, and unable to 
arrest the devouring element, or to save any of her 
property, either from the house or any of the outbuild- 
ings. Owing to the long spell of dry weather, and the 
c?onsequent parched state of every thing, the flames 
made very quick work. Horses, cows, grain, fodder of 
every kind, the house, with all its valuable furniture, 
and many souvenirs that she prized above all money 
value, all were swept away, nothing remaining but a 
smouldering heap of ruins. Baptiste had been with 
Mrs. Le Clair as her driver, and on seeing the extent of 
the disaster he wept bitterly. Mrs. Le Clair herself sat 
motionless and speechless, more like a statue than a 
living human being, so apparently lost was . she to all 
consciousness. The vast clouds of smoke soon attracted 
the attention of the neighboring farmers, who crowded 
to the spot, on foot, on horseback, and in wagons. But 
so complete and quick had been the work of destruction 
that all these parties could do, was to utter ^mentations 
at the desolation. They expressed themselves as being 
ready and willing, by all the means in their power, 
whether by personal exertions or by material aid, to 
contribute towards the restoration of the home of one 
whom they all respected and admired, for the largeness 
of her benevolence and the overflowing goodness of her 

^Mrs. Le Clair still sat in her wagon, silent and immov-- 
able, until Mrs. Brown directed Baptiste to drive her to 
her own house. So prostrated was she on arriving there, 
that she was carried from the wagon to the house like a 
child. This was another severe blow to her mental and 


296 


LILLIAN; OR, 


physical constitution, and she lay for some days without 
exhibiting much thought, or expressing any anxiety re- 
specting the irreparable loss she had sustained. But at 
length, her mental forces rallying a little, she asked 
where she was, and why they had brought her there. 
Then, in a thoughtful mood and with a serious look, she 
said she had been in a dream, and had dreamt that she 
saw a large fire. In this way she passed through suc- 
cessive stages of mental recuperation, until full con- 
sciousness returned. At length, when fully restored, 
she was informed of the nature and extent of her mis- 
fortunes. All were surprised at the submission with 
which she bowed to the dispensations of Providence, for 
she murmured not, but said — “ The Lord gave, and the 
Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the 
. Lord.” 

When she became able to leave the house, she re- 
quested Baptiste to hitch the horse up to the wagon, 
and drive her to see the place of her former but now 
desolate home. While she was contemplating the scene, 
a falling fear now and then evidenced her regrets. In 
the sadness of her mind, and the desolateness of her 
more than widowed heart, she was driven to the place 
where the remains of her two husbands lay in their 
beautifully-sequestered graves, and where she herself, 
too, expected soon to retire to her final rest. And now, 
on returning to the comfortable home of Mrs. Brown, 
her mind was depressed with a deep sense of her own 
homeless and desolate state. 

In this state of mental depression, with gloomy fore- 
bodings as to the future, Mrs. Le Clair began to think of 
Lillian. A number of letters had already passed between 


woman’s endurance. 


297 


them, breathing all the tender sympathies that we might 
suppose would flow from two such hearts, and one de- 
tailing to the other their daily experiences, and the 
course of events as connected with themselves. Mrs. 
Le Clair concluded to sit down and write to Lillian, giv- 
ing her a full statement of her late disastrous misfor- 
tune. The letter fluished, she dispatched it by the first 
conveyance. On the third day after sending her letter 
she was gratified by the receipt of one from Lillian, sup- 
posing it contained some cheering news that would ex- 
ercise a soothing influence over her own mind. But 
when she opened and read it, and found it to contain a 
narration of the circumstances with which the reader is 
already acquainted — the rude attack on her own person 
by the officer, the subsequent ill-treatment to which her 
husband had been subjected in consequence, his being 
reduced to the ranks, the false and malicious charge 
brought against him, his trial by court-martial, and his 
sentence to undergo the infliction of nine hundred 
lashes — when Mrs. Le Clair had read this fatal letter, 
her cup of sorrow was full and overflowing. No tears 
came to her relief when she was struck down by her 
own late misfortune ; but now, when she read of the 
distress and sufferings of her own daughter Lillian, she 
wept as though her heart would break. She was now 
more deeply impressed with the thought of her own 
utter helplessness ; for she had no means at her disposal, 
and indeed no resources whatever, wherewith to supply 
the wants or assuage the sorrows of her suffering and 
dear daughter Lillian. 

Mrs. Le Clair had for some time sat steeped in sor- 
row and affliction, having read and re-read the letter of 

13 * 


298 


LILLIAN; OR, 


Lillian, and so deeply absorbed in her own sad thoughts 
as to be entirely oblivious of every thing around her — 
when, in this state of sad and' perplexed reflections, a 
carriage of more than common beauty and finish, and 
drawn by a pair of dashing, spirited horses, drove up to 
the wicket-gate in front of Mr. Brown’s house, and from 
it alighted a lady, attired in a rich and fashionable trav- 
elling dress, who straightway approached the door and 
inquired for Mrs. Le Clair. On being introduced to 
Mrs. Le Clair, she took her hand and saluted her with a 
warm and hearty kiss, saying that she was sorry to 
find her in such deep distress. She bade her to cheer 
up, for brighter days were now before her, and she would 
be compensated for her long years of suffering. All 
this, however, fell upon the ears of Mrs. Le Clair as 
words without meaning — in her case especially, for, as 
she said, her life had been one of sorrow, and, so far as 
this life was concerned, she had scarcely a gleam of 
hope in the future ; but still she felt thankful that she 
could look forward with confidence to that world where 
the weary were at rest, and where the wicked would 
cease from troubling. On saying this, she handed the 
letter of Lillian to the lady to read, who, after reading 
it, returned it to Mrs. Le Clair, at the same time assur- 
ing her that she had long sympathized with her in her 
sufferings ; that she had never lost sight of her ; that 
she had alwaj^'s kept a watchful eye over her from her 
childhood ; that, though unknown to her, she had ever 
taken a deep interest in her welfare ; that she had al- 
ways seen that she was w’ell cared for, and all her 
wants fully supplied. All this seemed very strange 
to Mrs. Le Clair, who rose from her chair, and 


woman’s endurance 


299 


looking steadily at the lady, asked, in an earnest 
manner — “ Why, who are you ?” 

At this, the lady stepped outside the door ; and in a few 
minutes returning with her driver, presented a complete 
transformation in appearance — dressed, in fact, as the 
reader will remember to have seen them in other parts 
of our narrative. The grotesque-looking couple ap 
preaching Mrs. Le Clair, asked if she had ever seen 
them before. Mrs. Le Clair, looking at them in a kind 
of dreamy bewilderment for some moments, cried out. 
with much agitation in her manner, “ Why, it is the 
black phantom I What can all this mean and again 
sat down in her chair, overcome by her feelings. 

The lady, throwing off the cloak and hood, and clasp- 
ing Mrs. Le Clair in her arms with affectionate tender- 
ness, said — 

“ My dear, I am your own father’s sister, and have 
from your infancy been as a mother to you : for the se- 
crecy I have maintained, I will give you reasons here- 
after. But we have other and more important work on 
hand to occupy our immediate attention. However, bear 
this in mind, that all your present wants of every de- 
scription are cared for ; and I now trust that, by the 
blessing of God, your future days of happiness and 
peace will prove some compensation for the sorrows 
you have endured. As I have always written in the 
letters you have received from me, ‘ What thou knowest 
not now, thou shalt know hereafter.’ There will be a 
full development of my wishes and plans, which, I trust, 
will not only satisfy you of the propriety of my conduct 
under the circumstances, but which will make it clear 
that Providence will not allow the wicked so far to 


300 


LIXLIAN; OR, 


triumph in their selfish and nefarious schemes as finally 
to escape punishment ; or virtue eventually to go un- 
vindicated and unrewarded. It is true, your patience 
has often been put to a severe test, and my faith sorely 
tried ; but, my dear," I firmly believe that your Christian 
virtues and graces will come out of this fiery ordeal as 
gold purified., and that you will yet be able to say, as I 
wrote in my letters, that ‘ Jehovah reigneth, let the earth 
rejoice.’ ” 

The news was soon spread abroad that an important 
change for the better had taken place in the circum- 
stances of Mrs. Le Clair, and hearty were the greetings 
and congratulations she received. So deep and wide- 
spread had been the sympathy in her behalf, that prep- 
arations had already been extensively made to replace 
by new buildings those that had been destroyed by the 
late fire. But now these preparations were rendered 
unnecessary ; yet her gratitude to her numerous friends 
was none the less, though their aid was not needed. 

Divested as Mrs. Le Clair had lately been of every 
kind of movable property, there was but little labor 
and preparation required to get her ready to depart 
with her aunt, the Lady H., on her journey. At the sug- 
gestion of that lady, deeds were made out, conveying 
the farm to Mr. Brown, Mr. Jones, and their married son 
and daughter, it being to be divided among the three, 
as a memorial of her gratitude to them for their atten- 
tions to her, and also in remembrance of the connections 
that subsisted between them and her first husband. Cap- 
tain Walters, All this done, they were ready for their 
departure ; for Mrs. Le Clair, as well as Lady H., was 
anxious to leave, that they might afford some consola- 


woman’s endueanoe. 


301 


tion to Lillian and her husband in their sad condition. 
Before bidding a final adieu, however, they made another 
survey of the place and its surroundings, where Mrs. Le 
Clair had spent so many happy days, and where she had 
endured so many sorrows. They lingered long at the 
graves of those who, each in their time, had been the 
beloved idols of her heart, and beside whom it had been 
her wish and expectation that she might one day be laid. 
On leaving the justly revered spot, she plucked a few 
wild-flowers, the lingering relics of departing summer, 
placing them between the leaves of her Pocket-Bible. 

The state of things, as we have revealed them to the 
reader, was a perfect enigma to Mrs. Jones and Mrs. 
Brown. They were involved in a perplexing maze, on 
learning the contents of Lillian’s letter, in which she 
mentioned the reduction of Hargreaves to the ranks, 
and all the painful circumstances connected with that 
event. These, to their minds, wefe a justification of 
their fears and prognostications, as well as proofs of 
the short-sightedness of both mother and daughter — of 
the one, in marrying a sergeant ; and of the other, in 
allowing her daughter to take so imprudent a step. 
They were also, in their estimation, a refutation of the 
wild predictions of the old Indian witch. But then, 
something might come to pass yet to bring about the 
fulfilment of what the old Indian said about Lillian, from 
the unexpected change that had taken place in the cir- 
cumstances of Mrs. Le Clair. With many hopes, fears, 
and doubts in regard to Lillian and her husband, these 
two gossips were forced to leave things as perplexed as 
they found them, for they were not, like the old Indian, 
gifted with second-sight. 


302 


LILLIAN; OR, 


CHAPTER XXVII. 

While Mrs. Le Clair and Lady H. are on their event- 
ful journey, driven by the faithful and long-tried Thomas, 
we will again return, and learn how things are progress- 
ing in Montreal, with George Hargreaves and his beau- 
tiful and affectionate, but now suffering wife. It will be 
remembered that we left Hargreaves in his cell, under 
sentence to be flogged on the following Monday morn- 
ing ; and Lillian, weighed down in spirit by her heavy 
sorrow, in the retirement of her own room. We have 
already mentioned, that at the time to which our narra- 
tive now refers, Montreal was only a military outpost of 
Quebec. Of course, the general in command of the 
military district resided in Quebec, the headquarters of 
the district. The general, as we have already stated, 
was now in Montreal transacting important official busi- 
ness connected with his department, and had affixed his 
signature to the finding of the court-martial in the case 
of Hargreaves. It was now Sunday evening, and all 
the officials of the military department were busy, as 
there had just arrived from England a heavy mail. Such 
an event, at that time, was one of very great import- 
ance ; it was necessary for every one to be at his post, 
the general no less than his subordinates. In turning 
over the papers and letters addressed to himself, he 
found one marked special^ which induced him to pay his 


woman’s endueance. 


303 


first attention to that. This package contained several 
documents, apparently of very great importance, as they 
were signed by the commander-in-chief, at the Horse- 
Guards, London, with the seals of that officer affixed 
thereto. Turning the documents over one by one, he 
examined them with great care, becoming, as he read, 
more and more deeply excited by their contents ; as if 
they contained information of appalling import. Scru- 
tinizing again the seals and signature, and reperusing 
the documents with increasing agitation, he arose from 
his seat, and calling the orderly, who was waiting his 
commands at the door, asked him if he knew a soldier 
of the name of George Hargreaves. 

“ Yes, sir,” was the response ; “ it is he who is sen- 
tenced to be flogged to-morrow morning.” 

“ I thought so,” said the general. “ That was my im- 
pression, as I have a faint recollection of signing the 
finding of the court^’ his words half-choking him. 

He returned to his desk to examine the documents 
still more closely, but only became more bewildered 
than ever. He walked the room back and forth, in deep 
thought, muttering to himself the while, with now and 
then a horrid oath, uttered with a sharp, hissing vehe- 
mence, while his face was crimsoned by passion. He 
seemed pondering some movement, and undecided what 
course to adopt ; for he told the orderly to call a ser- 
geant and a file of men, and then, with much confusion 
in his words and manner, countermanded the order. 
Then giving him the necessary written notice to the 
officer of the day, he bade him go to the guard-house 
and bring the prisoner Hargreaves before him. But 
he had no sooner given this order, than he demanded it 


304 


LILLIAN; OB, 


back, and in a passion tore it up, and threw the frag- 
ments on the floor. At last, calling for a sergeant and 
a file of men, and putting on his military overcoat, he 
commanded them to lead the way to the guard-house. 
On their arrival at that place, they found the sentinel 
walking his silent and solitary beat. He called out, 
“ Who comes there ?” The response to which was, 
“ Rounds f when the further demand was made, “ What 
Rounds to which the reply was, “ Grand Rounds.” 
The order was now given, “Advance, Grand Rounds, 
and give the countersign.” This was accordingly done, 
while the startling information was given that the gen- 
eral was in waiting, to be admitted to the guard-house. 
On the reception of this news, the sentinel called out at 
the top of his voice, “ Guards, turn out to receive the 
General.” Prompt as well as exact in all their move- 
ments, the guard was soon in line in front of the guard- 
house, with their arms brought to the position of salute, 
a necessary manoeuvre to do honor to a superior officer. 

The general was promptly introduced into the guard- 
house by the officer of the day, with his sword brought 
to the salute. It may be supposed that some trepida- 
tion would be manifested by the guards, at this unex- 
pected visit of the general, at so unseasonable an houi 
of the night. But they were still more astonished when 
he gave the order to bring the prisoner Hargreaves from 
his cell. The huge key was soon turned in the lock, and 
the strongly-barred door thrown open. The poor man- 
acled prisoner was brought forth, and he now stood be- 
fore the general. There was no tremor in his well-built 
and firmly-knit frame, nor any thing like conscious guilt 
in his manly countenance. But it was noticed by the 


woman’s endurance. 


305 


lookers-on that the general was ill at ease, as he gave 
the command to take the fetters from the prisoner. Then 
writing an order for the release of Hargreaves, and 
signing it with his own name, as military commander 
of the district, he handed it to the officer of the guard. 
What greatly increased the amazement of all present, 
was that the general, on leaving, took Hargreaves with 
him, and treated him with respect. 

After the departure X)f fhe general and Hargreaves, 
with the sergeant and file of men leading the way in the 
dark, the minds of the officers, non-commissioned officers, 
and the privates on guard, were fertile in conjectures as 
to what all this could mean. 

Early on the following morning, when all were await- 
ing the performance of what was likely to prove a 
tragedy — the soldiers pained at the infliction of such a 
punishment on one of their comrades — the strange pro- 
ceedings of the previous night were noised abroad. 
Coming to the ears of the officers who had been the 
guilty actors in the dastardly and iniquitous plot, their 
guilty souls quailed within them, for they saw nothing 
before them but exposure, disgrace, and ruin. But we 
must now follow the general to his own rooms. We 
would here say that Hargreaves himself had been taken 
by surprise. Without a hope, as he was, of escaping 
the infliction of ’the threatened punishment, all the pre- 
parations for carrying out his sentence, having been 
made, what, he thought, could be the purport of this 
strange conduct on the part of the general ? It was 
utterly beyond his power to divine. He would wait pa- 
tiently the solution of the enigma. 

On their arrival at the general’s office, there was no 


306 


LILLIAN; O li , 


one present but his private secretary. Hargreaves hav- 
ing been requested to take a seat, the general himself 
took another close at his side. He asked Hargreaves 
a number of questions about his family, which he 
promptly and candidly answered. He informed the 
general, in this conversation, that he was a younger 
member of an aristocratic family in the south of Eng- 
land, which had been reduced to comparative poverty by 
a long course of litigation ; and, as his own personal 
interests had suffered in the disaster which had over- 
taken his family, he resolved to enlist as a private sol- 
dier, with the hope that he might, by his own talents, 
raise himself to distinction, if not to fortune. He then 
gave a detailed statement of his meeting* with Lillian, 
of his marriage, their arrival in Montreal, and all the 
painful incidents which finally resulted in the mock 
trial, his sentence, and his incarceration, until his lib- 
eration that night by the general himself. This state- 
ment was given with such an honest and fearless bold- 
ness, that the general seemed agitated during its delivery, 
and self-condemnation was visible in his countenance. 
The general then informed Hargreaves that his two se- 
nior brothers were dead ; that the suit in the court of 
chancery had come to a close, and had been decided in 
his favor ; that he was the rightful heir-at-law to all 
the family estates, as well as to the title ; and that he 
was now Sir George Hargreaves. The general then 
presented him with an honorable discharge from the 
British army ; and moreover enclosed with the neces- 
sary legal documents which he handed him, an order for 
one thousand pounds sterling, to be paid him out of the 
military chest. These documents being delivered into 


woman's endurance. 307 

Harg^reave^s hands, he g’ave the general a receipt for 
the same. 

At the conclusion of the matters they had had in hand 
— the general still exhibiting extreme nervousness, while 
Hargreaves, if possible, showed a higher degree of in- 
trepid boldness, the latter said — 

“Then it appears, general, that I do not owe any 
thing to your official interference on my behalf as a com- 
mon soldier, falsely charged with crime — as you must 
have known, if you had investigated the case— unjustly 
tried, and cruelly sentenced to be flogged. No, it is to 
Sir George Hargreaves to whom you have been so very 
attentive. Providence interfered in my behalf ; you 
would never have done so. The poor, condemned, suf- 
fering private soldier, might have died under the inflic- 
tions of the lash, and you, regardless of his case, of the 
justice or injustice of his sentence, would have stood 
aloof from the suffering wretch — if by so doing you 
could have kept or won abettors of the intrigues by 
which you have been raised, step by step, over the heads 
of more deserving men. But now, general, you have 
taken the final step. There is not a man, private or of- 
ficial, in all the command now in the barracks, who is 
not fully acquainted with your antecedents, and all your 
tyrannical and corrupt course. Owing to their subor- 
dinate position, however, they have been impotent to re- 
sist your tyranny, or to call in question any of your cor- 
rupt practices. But now, by your agency, though not 
through any good feeling or designed kindness on your 
part, I am put in possession of the power, and be as- 
sured, general, that I have the will, to avenge the moral 
worth you have so long trampled upon, and the in no- 


308 


LILLIAN; OR, 


cence you have insulted and injured, in the course of 
your official government. And believe me, general, that 
I will leave no stone unturned to bring you to justice, 
by having a thorough official investigation into all your 
actions.” 

With this fearless declaration of his purposes, inspired 
by the recollection of the wrongs he himself had endured, 
Hargreaves left the presence of General H., and made 
his way to his beloved Lillian, who had spent the most 
of the night upon her knees, asking her heavenly Father 
to grant that patience and endurance for her beloved 
and suffering husband which, in all probability, he would 
so much need on the morrow. 

But Lillian had had other and severe sorrow to endure 
besides that on account of her husband, for the past 
three days ; for she had received her mother’s letter, 
wherein she detailed the disaster which had befallen her 
in the destruction of her property by fire. This letter 
had passed on the road the one she had sent to her 
mother with an account of her own sorrows. On reading 
her mother’s letter, the poor girl, as may be supposed, 
was deeply affected ; for she now felt more keenly than 
ever that she was a stranger among strangers, with no 
one to whom she could go for comfort or consolation, or 
on whom she could lean for support, while her husband 
was a prisoner, awaiting a severe and degrading punish- 
ment. Was it possible for a human being to descend 
lower in the scale of adversity ? Years seemed to have 
been added to her age, as the direct result of the suffer- 
ings she had undergone. Her heart was destined to 
suffer still another pang ; for a little after midnight a 
number of the officers of the regiment passed her dwell- 


woman’s endurance. 


309 


ing, singing their ribald songs, and giving vent to their 
feelings in fits of boisterous laughter. Whether this 
was merely one of their thoughtless drunken frolics, or 
intended as an insult to her already deeply lacerated 
feelings, she knew not. 

When Hargreaves arrived at his own quarters, he 
could scarcely realize the sudden change in his circum- 
stances, and that it was not, after all, a dream. What, 
then, must have been the impression upon the mind of 
Lillian, receiving in the depth of her sufferings so won- 
derful a revelation ? She at first supposed that the suf- 
ferings of her husband had made him frantic, and that in 
his madness he had overpowered his keepers and made 
his escape ; and that, under the influence of a bewil- 
dered braiu, he was talking unreasonably of his dis- 
charge, his sudden possession of great wealth, his prop- 
erty, and of his accession to the title of his ancestors. 
In truth, Lillian’s alarm greatly diminished her joy at 
thus unexpectedly seeing her husband ; and it was only 
after her collected thoughts enabled her to give a close 
and critical scrutiny to all the documents placed in the 
hands of her husband by General H., that she could be 
fully persuaded that there was indeed a reality in the 
strange and romantic narrative just related by her hus- 
band. But when the truth was fully brought home to 
her mind, and she realized that there could be no room 
for doubt, her joy was unbounded. She told her hus- 
band that she had all along been impressed with the 
thought that Providence would in some way interfere in 
their behalf, and not allow wicked and bloody-minded 
men to triumph in their wanton cruelty and villainy. 
After recovering somewhat from the first feelings of joy 


310 


LILLIAN; OB, 


at their deliverance from such dreadful evils, present 
and future, Lillian handed to her husband the letter she 
had received from her mother. Here was intelligence, 
which, under other circumstances, would have filled 
him, as it had Lillian, with dismay ; but as it was, it 
only required a moment for Hargreaves’ kind and tender 
heart to propose their immediate departure, to carry to 
their mother the glad tidings of the change in their cir- 
cumstances, to alleviate the heavy sorrow pressing upon 
her. Things were soon put in train for their journey, 
for a soldier’s outfit is but light, and his encumbrances 
few at most ; and in this case their* affection gave ac- 
tivity and speed to all their movements. They were 
soon oh their western route, with their rude, homely-built 
vehicle, but with a splendid span of horses, bought by 
Hargreaves for the purpose. 



I 


woman’s endurance. 


311 


CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Now that Hargreaves and his young wife are started 
on their western journey, we will again take a look into 
the room of General H., and learn something of his do- 
ings and sufferings. After Hargreaves had left him, 
writhing under the scathing that he had received from 
the released prisoner, he paced the room in great per- 
turbation of spirit, conscious as he was that the declara- 
tions of Hargreaves were all too true. His thoughts at 
length becoming somewhat settled, he took his seat at 
his desk, for the purpose of further investigating the 
matters brought to his notice by the dispatches he had 
received by the last mail from England. As he turned 
over one paper after another, he found a letter from the 
steward of his own father’s estate. He eagerly opened 
it, and read its contents. This letter contained the as- 
tounding news that his elder brother had lost his life 
by the upsetting of his carriage, and his sister, who was 
with him at the time, though still living when the letter 
was dispatched, was supposed to be fatally injured. 
And then there was the further startling information, 
that a claim had been set up to a great part of the 
estate by a daughter of his fathers deceased brother. 
It appeared from this letter, that some mysterious doings 
had been lately brought to light — some foul dealings on 
the part of his f ather, in connection with the death of his 


I 


312 


LILLIAN; OR, 


brother nearly forty years ago. The father of General 
H. had supposed that the infant daughter of his brother 
had perished with her father and mother, when their 
residence, by some mysterious agency, was destroyed 
by fire. Now, however, that daughter had turned up 
somewhere in Upper Canada, bearing the name of Le 
Clair, and it was believed she was on her way to Eng- 
land, to claim in her proper person the restitution of her 
father’s property. His father, under the influence of 
remorse of conscience, and fearful of consequences, had 
yielded his claim to the property, and it was now in the 
hands of the attorney of the claimant. 

Here we might as well relieve our narrative of a little 
of its obscurity, by informing the reader that General 
H. is the same person who, more than twenty years be- 
fore, joined, as lieutenant, the regiment to which Cap- 
tain Walters then belonged ; and that lieutenant H. and 
Mrs. Walters are first cousins, being own brothers’ chil- 
dren. 

The startling revelations of the above letter brought 
vividly to the mind of General H. the statements of 
Hargreaves ; for the letter gave the former and present 
name of the claimant of his father’s estate. So that he 
saw clearly she could be no other than Lillian’s mother. 
He now saw the wrong he had done to his own cousin, 
when Mrs. Walters, and to her husband, Captain Wal- 
ters, and the gross injustice he had, through his guilty 
indifference, been the means of doing the innocent daugh- 
ter of his cousin, and especially her husband, Hargreaves. 
These things were no light burden upon his mind. But 
superadded to all this, his whole life had been one con-^ 
tinued series of wrong-doing. Like his father, he was 


woman’s endurance. 


313 


the slave of every vice. Now he could take no praise 
to himself for the act by which he liberated Hargreaves, 
for his punishment would most certainly have taken 
place blit for the timely arrival of the English mail. 

Now what should this wretched, guilty man do to 
avoid exposure, and dismissal from the British army 
with disgrace, or, it might be, a fate even worse than 
that? He determined to anticipate the awards of jus- 
tice and the approaching storm of execration which he 
saw looming up in the distance, by adopting the remedy 
of the desperate and despairing. On retiring to his 
room at night, for the purpose of repose it was thought, 
it was observed that he carried with him a bottle, from 
which, on entering his room, he took a draught. On the 
following morning he was found dead in his bed, and the 
report was circulated that he had died of a fit of apo- 
plexy. The public prints, in noticing his death, extolled 
him as an intrepid soldier, and a faithful and efficient 
servant of his sovereign. His loss, they said, was great, 
and his place could not be supplied by his equal. In all 
the walks of life, filling every office and performing 
every duty, as a man, a soldier, and a Christian, he was 
held up as a pattern and example worthy the imitation 
of all. 



314 


LILLIAN; OR, 


CHAPTER XXIX. 

We have already informed the reader that the letter 
written by Mrs. Le Clair to Lillian, and the one written 
by Lillian to her mother, passed each other on the road. 

It so happened that each received her letter on the same 
day. It occupied both about the same length of time in 
making preparations for their journey. Each, it must 
be borne in mind, was uninformed as to the changed 
circumstances of the other. Thus, Lillian and her hus- 
band supposed they would find their mother domiciled 
in the house of some friend, near her late residence, and 
involved in deep distress, mourning over the loss of her 
property. Mrs. Le Clair and her aunt, Lady H., were 
equally certain that they were going down to Mon- 
treal to soothe the sorrows and assuage the grief of Lil- 
lian, as well as to convey some comfort and consolation 
to the lacerated and disgraced George Hargreaves. 

The reader may perhaps recollect that when Captain 
and Mrs. Walters, and their party, were on their journey 
to their new home in Upper Canada, they remained for 
a few days at a house on the margin of a river, about 
half-way between Montreal and the place of their desti- 
nation, and where several French Canadian families re- 
sided. At the time of which we are now writing, con- 
8ide;:ably more than twenty years had come and gone t 
since this place was first brought under our observatioa 


woman’s endurance. 315 

The general features of the locality, however, are nearly 
the same ; a small extent, only, of the rich soil is culti- 
vated, and that surrounded by the dense, primitive 
woods. But the social condition of the people has, since 
the period to which we refer, greatly changed. Of the 
few families then residing here, some of their members, 
who were past the middle age, have since filled up the 
measure of their days, and stepped from the stage of 
life ; and another generation has sprung up to hale 
and hearty young manhood and womanhood, to supply 
their places. Those with whom we formed an acquaint- 
ance then — the busy, active members of these families — 
have advanced many stages in the march of life. It so 
happened that, starting from the adverse points of Mon- 
treal and Upper Canada, both parties met at this place, 
and that each was ignorant of the near proximity of the 
other. The reader may therefore imagine the feelings 
of each, at the first moment of their mutual recognition, 
in such an out-of-the-way place, and under such remark- 
able circumstances. The first to arrive at this place 
was George Hargreaves and his wife Lillian ; and in 
about two hours after them, Mrs. Le Clair and her newly 
found aunt. Lady H., in her carriage driven by her ser- 
vant-man in livery. This last party had been ferried 
over the river in the flat-bottomed boat, and the first to 
step on the bank of the river, in full view of the front of 
the house, were the two ladies. 

The attention of every member of the French families 
was soon directed towards the new-comers, and among the 
rest, that of Lillian and her husband, who were observ- 
ing them from the front-room window. No sooner did 
Lillian get a glimpse of the persons of the approaching 


816 


LILLIAN; OR, 


ladies, than she passionately exclaimed, clasping her 
hands, and pressing them convulsively against her fore- 
head — 

“ Can it be possible — can that be my mother !” 

Hargreaves noticed the violent emotion of Lillian, but 
was at a loss as to the cause of her excitement ; while 
Lillian, under the influence of her surprise, and oblivious 
of all around her, darted from the room, and made her 
way towards the approaching strangers. Ignorant of 
the favorable change in Hargreaves’ affairs, and meet- 
ing Lillian so suddenly and unexpectedly, Mrs. Le Clair 
lost her self-control, and in a state of alarm endeavored 
to avoid the impetuous advances of Lillian, wild and 
frantic with delight. Recovering her self-possession, 
however, in an instant they were locked in each other’s 
arms. With a vehement but half-choked utterance, Lil- 
lian cried out — 

“ My mother I my mother ! Oh, my mother !” 

Mrs. Le Clair, with less apparent fervor, but still with 
strong inward emotion, exclaimed — 

“ My Lillian ! my own darling daughter I” 

They hung long in each other’s embrace, and wept 
tears of joy. After the subsidence of the first gush of 
their affectionate feelings, caused by this transcendently 
delightful surprise, it was with extreme difficulty that 
each could convince the other of the reality of the as- 
tounding train of circumstances that had reversed so 
completely and happily all they had believed they would 
have to encounter in the revelations of the future. At 
first, this new state of things broke upon their minds dimly 
and vaguely, like the glimmer of dawn upon our half 
awakened vision. After a full explanation on each sidu 


woman’s endurance. 


317 


and a clear realization by all of the true state of things, 
they marvelled exceedingly at the course of events, and 
expressed their devout gratitude for the happiness in 
which they had resulted. Lady H. exclaimed with ve- 
hemence — 

“ This moment, this happy unfolding of things, is an 
ample reward for all the time I have waited, the toil I 
have endured, and the means I have expended ; for it is 
a consummation, in part, of my utmost and best wishes. 
I now feel that I can say with more assurance than 
ever, ‘ Jehovah reigneth, let the earth rejoice.^ ” 

The utterance of these words, with the manner in 
which they were spoken by Lady caused Mrs. Le 
Clair to cover her face with her handkerchief, and sob 
aloud, so overcome was she by her emotions 

When the members of this now happy group came to 
understand their several wishes and purposes, it was 
found that the ruling desire of all of them was to visit 
Europe at as early a period as possible. 

Lillian and Hargreaves, accompanied by Mrs. Le 
Clair and Lady H., with her man-servant, the trusty 
Thomas, had now to retrace their steps to Montreal. 
But, before starting from this place, they concluded that, 
as the party was small and the carriage of Lady H. was 
a roomy one, they would dispose of the rude vehicle 
brought by Hargreaves from Montreal, and placing the 
horses in one team, drive down four-in-hand. This plan 
was soon adjusted, and all made ready for departure. 
So far as the party themselves were concerned, the jour- 
ney could not be otherwise than an agreeable one. But, 
as it was getting late in the fall, and the roads were not 
in good condition, they had to make the best of their 


318 


LILLIAN; OR, 

time by putting their horses on their mettle. Overcom- 
ing all difficulties, they at length reached Montreal in 
safety. Arriving just in time to take advantage of the 
sailing of a government ship that was then on the point 
of leaving for Europe, the horses and carriage were 
soon sold, all arrangements made, and the party quickly 
stepped on board, when the anchor was raised, and they 
were soon on their long and perilous journey. Starting 
on their voyage at so late a season of the year, the pas- 
sage must have been far from being a pleasant one. On 
descending the noble river St. Lawrence, they had a fine 
southwest breeze in their favor, which carried them far 
out on their way, and soon gave them plenty of sea- 
room. 

Previous to leaving Montreal, Mrs. Le Clair wrote, 
for the information of her friends, a clear statement of 
events in regard to herself, since she left Sweet-brier 
Grove. But she dwelt more especially upon the remark- 
able circumstances connected with the changed position 
and prospects of Hargreaves and Lillian. Nor did she 
neglect to mention Hargreaves’ newly acquired title, 
that he was now Sir George Hargreaves ; that he had 
inherited this title, and all the estate, which had been 
borne and possessed by men of whom honorable mention 
was made in history ; and that he was then on the eve 
of his departure for England, for the purpose of assum- 
ing his rightful possessions. She concluded by stating 
that it was her intention to write to them again on her 
arrival in England, or as soon after as circumstances 
would allow. For, as she said, she felt a very strong 
attachment for the place and people, where and among 
whom she had spent so many years of her life- 


woman’s endurance. 319 

On the reception of this letter by Mrs. Jones and Mrs. 
Brown, they carefully read and seriously pondered its 
very significant contents. For a while they were at a 
loss what to say, as they had so unreservedly committed 
themselves with regard to Lillian and Hargreaves. But 
with her usual boldness and reckless inconsistency, Mrs. 
Jones, in the face of her previously expressed opinion, 
said — 

“Well, I always thought that there might be some- 
thing in what the old Indian said about Lillian, and it is 
now very likely to be all fulfilled. And dear knows,^’ 
said she, “ I do hoj)e and trust it will be so, for, poor 
thing, she has seen a mighty sight of trouble already, 
and her so young.’^ 

“ Well,” said Mrs. Brown, “ that was just what the 
old woman prophesied, that she would have trouble 
first. After all,” said she, “ it is real queer hov things 
does turn up sometimes.” 

We have little inclination to dwell upon the recital of 
the incidents that occurred on the passage, as these are 
of the same general character, and are attended with 
discomfort at all times — though with more, doubtless, at 
the period of which we write. But they passed securely 
through every storm, bravely encountered every priva- 
tion and inconvenience, and arrived safely at the port 
of their destination. 

No time after theii arrival was lost by any one of the 
party, as each of them had important business to trans- 
act. But, as there are distinct interests in view, those of 
Mrs. Le Clair and Lady H. on the one hand, and those of 
George Hargreaves and Lillian on the other, and as Mrs 
Le Clair and Lady H. have the prior claim on our atten- 


320 


LILLIAN; OR, 


tion, on account of their seniority, we will first notice 
the doings of these. 

It was necessary, on the part of Lady H., to make 
the best of her way up to London, in order to consult 
with her attorney. We would here say, that she had 
been fully informed as to the exact state of things, from 
month to month, by this faithful and trusty man of 
business ; and she had also fully informed him of all 
the movements of her niece, Mrs. Le Clair, from the day 
she landed in North America until a short time before 
leaving it. There could not, therefore, be any success- 
ful opposition raised as to her identity. But, should 
attempts be made to dispute her claim to being the re- 
puted daughter of the brother of Lord H., there were 
certain marks upon her person which could be referred 
to as indisputable evidence on the point, known as they 
were to reputable parties who had been in the secre.t. 
As the sequel will show, nothing of this kind was ne- 
cessary ; for, according to the information of the attor- 
ney, his lordship had been so completely foiled in all his 
schemes of personal aggrandizement, his children hav- 
ing been cut off one after another as by some mysterious 
providence, that he himself had been actually appalled 
at the fearful array of circumstances against him. So 
that further mischief on his part, or the perpetration of 
any additional villainy by him, was now out of the ques- 
tion. The attorney, as well as Lady H., had been fully 
persuaded that if any opposition were raised against 
the wrong-doing of her brother, Lord H., in the first 
place, it might utterly frustrate all their hopes of ever 
putting their charge, the then infant Eliza, in possession 
of the property of her father. Consequently it was their 


woman’s endurance. 


321 


first and main object to place the rescued infant in some 
place of safety, out of the reach and beyond the knowl- 
edge of her cruel and avaricious uncle. And in order 
to carry out this plan the more effectually, her aunt. 
Lady H., proposed to take upon herself the entire over- 
sight and charge of the infant. For this purpose, she 
proposed to devote the whole of her private fortune to 
the accomplishment of this noble purpose. Well know- 
ing that to attain his ends and to accomplish his sin- 
ister purpose he would put conscience and all princi- 
ples of justice aside, they concluded that it would be 
the best policy to stand out of his way, and thus afford 
providence full sway to deaf with this unprincipled man 
in its own way, and to bring home to him the deserts of 
his crimes in its own good time. 

As the tiger, after roaming forest and plain, and 
spreading death and destruction, is checked in his career 
by the decay of his powers, and retires to his lair to 
die ; so this overbearing monster, who had revelled in 
crime, with no human power to stay his hand — who nei- 
ther feared God nor regarded man — was now reduced 
to almost childish imbecility, both in body and mind. 
But the vital spark still animated and informed in some 
degree the emaciated old man, until the arrival at the 
old family mansion of the attorney-at-law. Lady H., and 
Mrs. Le Clair. By direction of the wretched imbecile, 
they were introduced into his room. He sat there more 
an object of pity and commiseration than of anger or 
vengeance, with grim despair holding undisputed sway 
over his haggard countenance. Still, he fully compre- 
hended the purport of their visit, and was quite ready 
and willing to attach his signature to the documents 


322 


LII. LIAN; OB 


that gave full and undisputed possession of all the family- 
estates to Mrs. Eliza Le Clair. After this important 
transaction, Lady H. caught the hand of Mrs. Le Clair, 
and, with features expressive of extreme happiness, 
said — 

“ My dear, this is the crowning act that I have so 
long waited for ; and this the happiest moment of my 
life. These things will explain what you always found 
in my letters to you, ‘ What thou knowest not now, thou 
shalt know hereafter ” and pointing at the pitiable, 
cowering wreck of humanity before them, she said, “ This 
is also a full attestation of that other sentiment, ‘Jeho- 
vah reigneth, let the earth rejoice.’ ” 

All that Mrs. Le Clair could do or say in answer to 
this was, “ Amen,” accompanied by a gentle pressure 
of the hand, while her eyes were swimming in tears. 

After this Lord H. survived only a few days, but there 
was crowded into that short space of time, in mental 
agony and remorse, suffering that would tax the capa- 
city of an angel to endure — giving clear and strong evi- 
dence that the way and the end of transgressors are 
hard. 

After the death of Lord H., the people under his con- 
trol, tenants or otherwise, seemed to breathe more freely ; 
for he had been a terror and a scourge to them all, 
avaricious, grinding, and oppressive. Hence, it is no 
wonder there was such a universal and spontaneous 
outpouring of good feeling, in the first greetings of all, 
on the advent of Mrs. Le Clair. And she now found 
herself in a position congenial to her feelings, for it was 
the delight of her heart to redress the wrongs, to rec- 
tify the evils, to relieve the wants, and to assuage the 


woman’s endurance. 


323 


sufferiugs of those whom Providence brought under her 
charge. We cannot in this place refrain from making 
sped 'll note of an individual who was one of the first, 
as well as one of the most obsequious, in paying his 
respects to Mrs. Le Clair. This was no other than the 
Rev. James Wilson, with whom the reader is already 
somewhat acquainted, as the chaplain of the regiment 
to which Captain Walters belonged, and from whom 
both she and her first husband had received such per- 
sonal indignities, on account of their more strict ob- 
servance of the duties enjoined by the gospel. 

It appeared that this reverend gentleman had been so 
successful in worming himself into the good graces of 
Lord H., through the influence of his son. General H., 
that on the death of the late incumbent of the rich living 
in the Church in the gift of Lord H., he had been in- 
ducted. This, while it shows a remarkable turn in af- 
fairs, will indicate the position of the parties now before 
us. We have said that this gentleman was one of the 
first, as well as one of the most obsequious, in his atten- 
tions to Mrs. Le Clair. But, with all his cringing, he 
could not erase from her mind the deep impressions 
made by the taunts and jeers he had directed against 
her first husband. Captain Walters. But Mrs. Le Clair 
was of too noble and magnanimous a nature, by her 
tongue, or in any other way, to give Wilson an indica- 
tion of the opinion she had formed of his disposition and 
general character. Mr. Wilson was the same sleek, 
smooth-tongued person as formerly, to those of the same 
way of thinking as himself. He was at once a fawning 
flatterer to those occupying stations above him, but im- 
perious and overbearing to those below him. Where 


324 


LILLIAN; OB, 


there was the least antagonism in religious sentiment or 
opinion, he would, if he could, have been a persecutor 
even to dBath. But as things were now, Mrs. Le Clair 
was his superior, and he knew it, and was so much in- 
fluenced by that knowledge, that he became a marvel to 
many ; and it was generally thought that a gentle hint 
from Mrs. Le Clair, on the subject of his oflScial extor- 
tions, had induced him to remodel his tactics. 

One very signal benefit arising from Mrs. Le Claires 
acquiring the estates of her father, with those of her 
uncle, was the clearing and fencing in of many of those 
useless appendages termed “ preserves for game,” and 
erecting neat and comfortable cottages thereon, with a 
good space of land attached, and placing the most de- 
serving and industrious of the laboring poor upon them ; 
and she soon had the happiness of receiving the grateful 
acknowledgments of a thriving and prosperous company 
of poor men and their families. These were acts more in 
accordance with the mission of wealth and position than 
the breeding of pheasants and partridges. 

But we must now leave Mrs. Le Clair, secured in the 
possession of her newly-acquired position, which she 
adorned with true dignity and every womanly grace. 
She had passed through a severe course of training in 
the school of adversity, and emerged from the ordeal 
subdued and mild in her disposition, humble in her de 
portment, and meek in spirit. 



woman’s endurance. 


325 


CHAPTER XXX. 

We have already mentioned that, on landing in Eng- 
land, Sir George Hargreaves and his wife made their 
way at once to London. ^ When there, they went to the 
office of the attorney who had brought his suit to a suc- 
cessful issue, giving him a clear title to the estates so 
long in litigation. The greetings and congratulations 
were mutual and hearty, and, after making some neces- 
sary business arrangements, the attorney accompanied 
Hargreaves and his wife to their new home, to put them 
in legal possession. On their arrival there, they found 
that extensive preparations had been made to give them 
a befitting reception. The old family mansion, with its 
surroundings, had been trimmed up and beautified, and 
presented an entirely renovated appearance. But all 
this was as nothing in comparison with the hearty good- 
will and exuberant joy exhibited by all connected with 
the estate. 

A few days after ^Hargreaves’ arrival, a committee 
waited upon him, as a deputation from the principal 
tenants of the estate, requesting him to appoint an 
early day when they might all assemble to celebrate 
his advent among them. This request was no sooner 
made than granted ; and the time named was the first 
day of May, which appeared to meet the wishes and 
approval of all. .fJothing that had happened in that 


826 


LILLIA.N; OR, 


part of the country during the generation then living 
had caused such a profound sensation as did this ex- 
pected gala day. Of course, appropriate preparations 
were made, and these on a scale of magnificence that 
would fittingly display the joy that swayed all hearts. 
It may be supposed that the farmers, together with the 
younger branches of their families, would wish to do all 
honor to their new and young landlord ; and, so far as 
display in dress and of l&looming youth and beauty 
were concerned, this would be abundantly manifest. 
Sir George himself gave instructions to have extensive 
temporary booths built upon the spacious lawn in front 
of the old mansion, and these decorated and festooned 
with branches of the liveliest evergreens. But these 
evergreens were almost a work of supererogation ; for, 
on the first of May, in the southwest of England, to 
which our narrative now refers, nature is clothed in her 
holiday attire, and presents the appearance of one uni- 
versal flower-garden. And then Sir George issued a 
long programme of rural sports, suited to the tastes 
and inclinations of the rustic mind. Ample provision 
was also made for satisfying the cravings of the inner 
man. 

When the anxiously awaited morning arrived, it was 
all that could be desired — one of those bright and glo- 
rious mornings that cause the blood to flow freely and 
briskly through the veins, giving hilarity to the spirits, 
a livelier play to the feelings, and filling the soul with 
delight. And then, all nature, both animate and inani- 
mate, appeared to partake of the pervading influence, 
for the air was redolent with sweetness, and resounded 
with the melodious song of birds. It was, indeed, a 


woman’s endurance. 327 

special day in that sweet and picturesque valley of 
Devonshire. 

The gathering crowds in the early part of the day, 
with their earnest and anxious faces, gave full attesta- 
tion of the deep interest felt by the people for miles 
around. When the company had all gathered and the 
sports were at their height, the scene was most delight- 
ful to contemplate. The fun and frolic, the abandon- 
ment to innocent mirth, so characteristic of the gather- 
ings of the rural population of England, marked this as 
a day long to be remembered. The young Sir George 
Hargreaves, with his erect, tall, manly figure, moved 
among the dense and delighted assemblage the most 
delighted of the throng. His hand was freely extended, 
and received many an honest, hearty, and congratulatory 
shake, while to every request he lent a willing ear. 
But, amidst all this, the great centre of attraction and 
admiration was the beautiful Lillian ; for wherever she 
moved among the group of delighted visitors there was 
a buzz of involuntary admiration. She was attired in 
a plain but rich dress, for she required no meretricious 
ornaments to set off her native beauty. And then she 
was as buoyant and blithe as the lightest heart there, 
and entered with equal glee into all the mirth of the 
moment. What gave Lillian a keener relish for this fes- 
tive scene was the presence of her mother ; and if ever 
mortals were brimful of joy, that was now the state of 
Lillian and her parent. To them, under the influence 
of those higher and finer sensibilities which only deeply 
susceptible natures can experience, it seemed the con- 
summation of earthly bliss, after the trials and soriows 
through which they had been brought. 


328 


LILLIAi^; OB, 


Once, in the afternoon, Lillian approached her mother, 
her face beaming with smiles, and with an arch, roguish 
twinkle of her eye, whispered, “ Mother, what do you 
think of the prophecy of the old Indian witch now 
This allusion to what at one time appeared so improb- 
able, at first somewhat disconcerted Mrs. Le Clair ; but 
recovering her self-possession, she said, with a signifi- 
cant look, and her face lit up with a smile, “ Yes indeed, 
my dear, I have often of late thought on the same sub- 
ject myself.” 

At the close of this very memorable day, when the 
sun was sinking from their sight, this company of happ^[ 
spirits wended their way to their respective homes. 
None but pleasant memories remained as subjects for 
the neighboring gossips to while awa}’’ their evening 
hours for many a month and year afterwards. 

Sir George and Lady Hargreaves were now destined 
to occupy a higher sphere, and the circle of their ac- 
quaintance to be much enlarged ; for the neighboring 
gentry, prompted by various and confiicting motives, 
sought their friendship. The high standing, in the 
county of Devonshire, of the family from which Har- 
greaves himself had descended, gave him position in 
their estimation. Quite a number were attracted thither 
by the fame that was spread abroad of the surpassing 
beauty and rare accomplishments of Lillian ; and scarcely 
a day was allowed to pass without a social party being 
formed, meeting in succession at each other’s mansions. 
Whether Lillian went on the visit alone or accompanied 
by her husband, she was always driven in almost regal 
state in her carriage and four ; and wherever she went, 
she was the centre and life of the circle, for, with her 


woman’s endurance. 329 

general knowledge and native wit, she was capable of 
supporting the most varied and intelligent conversation. 
She generally took the lead in music, both vocal and 
instrumental ; usually extorting the admiration of her 
lady friends. The few who spoke disparagingly of her 
performances were of that narrow-minded class who 
depreciate in others whatever they cannot . themselves 
equal. Envy eclipsed their judgment and their taste. 
This was perceived by Lillian, for she was quick at dis- 
cerning the characters and dispositions of her associates ; 
but it had no other effect than to urge her onward to the 
attainment of a higher excellence, as will be evidenced 
by a few instances illustrative of the nature and extent 
of her triumphs. 

Practice with the long-bow, a very healthful sport, is 
quite popular among some of the aristocratic families of 
England. Hence, many of the nobility have shooting- 
butts regularly laid out, where both ladies and gentle- 
men resort to exercise their skill in archery. Among 
the associates of Lillian there were many who stood high 
as accomplished archers ; and of course these, feeling 
confident in their own skill, and ever ready to enter the 
lists against all comers, soon gave the challenge to Lil- 
lian, being unaware that she was an adept in that sport. 
Nothing daunted, she accepted it, without dropping any 
hint that she had ever practised with the bow and arrow. 

On the arrival of the company of ladies and gentle- 
men at the shooting-butts, they each of them, out of 
respect to Lillian, proposed to give her the privilege of 
the first shot. She modestly but firmly declined, stating 
that she would prefer seeing the others commence, as 
she would then know better how to act. 


330 


LILLIAN; OR, 

When the members of the party had given evidence 
of their skill, with a wide margin as to results, the bow 
and arrow were handed to Lillian. On receiving these, 
she minutely examined the bow from nock to nock, and 
then the arrow, from head to feather. She then placed 
the arrow in its seat with care, and tried the spring, so 
as to adjust her own strength to the strength and spring 
of the bow. Putting herself in position, she now fixed 
her eye on the target, and taking a cool and steady aim, 
sent the arrow to the golden centre. Some of the gen- 
tlemen exclaimed : “ Well done. Lady Hargreaves !” 
Several of the ladies, however, who had been considered, 
and who considered themselves, extraordinary shots, 
felt no little pique at being thus shorn of their laurels ; 
and they insinuated that it was more good luck than 
good shooting on the part of Lady Hargreaves. Where- 
upon, when it came to Lillian’s turn again to try her 
hand, purposely taking her stand ten yards further from 
the target, she placed the arrow precisely in the same 
spot as before. 

This feat called forth a stronger expression of admira- 
tion from the gentlemen, and from a few of the ladies. 
But a few of the latter, who had hitherto carried off the 
palm in their contests at these exercises, manifested 
some mortification, and made remarks aside, in accord- 
ance with their feelings. The sport was carried on to a 
further trial ; and Lillian again receding ten yards, 
placed the arrow as before, without deviating a hair’s- 
breadth. It was now fully conceded by all present, that 
Lady Hargreaves must receive the crown, and hence- 
forth be considered the champion archer of the district. 

On observing evidences of wounded pride in some of 


woman’s endurance. 


331 


the ladies, and a wish, on their part, to depreciate her 
skill, a spirit of rivalry took possession of Lillian ; and 
at times it might have been thought that she acted with 
too masculine an energy, and exhibited too eager a 
desire to excel. A little of this may perhaps be dis- 
covered in the following incident. One day in early 
autumn, a number of gentlemen were assembled for the 
purpose of having a day’s sport, and before leaving they 
formed quite an interesting group in front of the Hall. 
A number of ladies were attracted to the place to wit- 
ness the departure of the sportsmen, and, as usual on 
such occasions, the jest and the merry laugh lent their 
aid to enliven the interview. One of the ladies made 
the remark, that she would like to go with them, if she 
had a fowling-piece, and knew how to use it. “ Oh,” 
said Lillian, laughing, “ I can use one,” and requested a 
gentleman to lend her his double-barrelled Manton. 
Looking out for a bird on the wing, which she soon dis- 
covered, she brought the piece to her shoulder and fired, 
and the game came fluttering to the ground. Then 
turning to the opposite direction, and seeing another 
bird, she repeated th6 action with the same result ; when 
she returned the piece to its owner, saying — 

'‘Did not I tell you that I could use a fowling-piece?” 

“ Upon my word,” said one of the gentlemen, “ Lady 
Hargreaves is not less aticurate in her use of the fowling- 
piece than of the bow and arrow.” With these and 
other feats, Lillian excited the admiration of some, and 
the jealousy of others of the company. 

At the commencement of the acquaintance of Lillian 
with the ladies of the neighboring noble families, she 
acted in her own natural, unassuming way ; but finding 


332 


LILLIAN ; OK, 


them growing jealous of her superior skill, although she 
had the prudence and self-restraint to hide from others 
her impressions, she yet felt her Indian blood wrought 
upon so far, as to inspire her with a full determination 
to excel. And once imbued with this spirit, she lost no 
opportunity of showing her superiority. And she felt 
almost contempt for these ladies, puffed up as they were 
by their inflated imaginations, with ideas of their im- 
measurable superiority to the poor, untitled common 
people. If they spoke to or of these, it was with a pat- 
ronizing air, indicative of superiority on the one side, 
and of inferiority on the other. 

How different from all this were the manners and 
behavior of Lillian I Her kind and gentle heart was of 
a far different mould. She would give heed to the 
humblest, without any appearance of hauteur, and yet 
without sacrificing her native dignity. Nay, indeed, 
never did she display so much of grace and moral 
beauty as when holding familiar converse with some 
poor woman, listening with deep interest to some story 
of personal or domestic sorrow, and by kind and gentle 
words, and often by more substantial appliances, sooth- 
ing the sorrows of her afflicted heart. 

Often would Lillian, in direct terms, place her ante- 
cedents in bold contrast with those of her lady com- 
panions, by narrating some of those thrilling incidents 
in which her own ancestors had exhibited their heroism 
and displayed their prowess. When listening to these 
ladies boasting of their descent in a direct line from 
some one of the leading officers belonging to the train 
of William the Conqueror, Lillian did not hesitate to 
declare, that she could boast of springing from a line of 


woman’s endurance. 


333 


princes who flourished long anterior to the existence of 
William, or any of his officers. And when these ladies 
were priding themselves on the extent of their posses- 
sions, Lillian would place in contrast to these, the wide 
domain over which her forefathers held sway by the 
potency of their own strong right arm. She would often 
insinuate a reproach of the useless and utterly aimless 
lives they led — spending their days and nights in a con- 
tinual round of vitiating and enervating gayeties and 
follies, while there were open to them so many spheres 
of usefulness more dignifying and ennobling than the 
boast of ancestry or the possession of lands and houses. 

Lillian was at one time on a visit at a mansion some 
distance from her own home. The conversation turning 
on the above subjects, one of the young ladies said : 
“We must take Lady Hargreaves with us when we go 
to those poor families, with the clothes and blankets Ma 
bought for them, and then she will see for herself that 
we do not always spend our time so very aimlessly 
and uselessly.” Accepting their invitation, Lillian did 
go with them on their message of mercy and labor of 
love, and was much amused at the pomp and circum- 
stance observed by the ladies, with the design of making 
an impression of their condescension on the minds of the 
poor creatures who were the objects of their bounty. 
They visited several cottages, if filthy mud-holes might 
be so named, with scarcely an article that had any of 
the features of furniture within them, and with a few 
rods of ground attached, which had been rendered as 
solid as rock, by being used as a common play-ground 
for years, by a multitude of shoeless and shirtless, wild 
and untutored children, with scarcely rags enough on 


334 


LILLIAN; OR, 


them to cover their nakedness. Abject poverty ap- 
peared to be the general characteristic of each and all ; 
and this was associated with idiotic, expressionless 
countenances, in all the inmates of these miserable 
dwellings, adults as well as juveniles. To these mis- 
erable creatures were doled out a few pairs of coarse 
blankets, such as the grooms or the coachmen of these 
proud titled ladies would have scorned to throw over 
the horses in their stables. A few other cheap articles 
of clothing were distributed to these comparatively des- 
titute creatures, by these pampered favorites of fortune. 

While amused at the frivolous and empty pompousness 
of these ladies, Lillian was deeply mortified to see them 
apparently lost to the conviction that they themselves 
were of the same flesh and blood, deriving their being 
from one common origin with those whom they seemed 
to hold at so cheap a rate. But Lillian was a person of 
prudence, as well as of f< bold and fearless independence. 
She knew how to time her remarks so as to produce 
the most telling effect. And this was evidenced in the 
present instance. On the evening of the day on which 
the above events transpired, a number of the ladies were 
conversing on the proceedings of the day, when a direct 
appeal was made to Lillian for her opinion as to what 
she thought of them. With all her peculiar honesty 
and frankness, Lillian declared that if she had on former 
occasions hinted that they were spending their lives to 
little purpose, she would now say, if she must speak 
according to the dictates of her judgment, that they had 
on that day done a serious wrong — that they had fos- 
tered the feelings and had encouraged the habits of de- 
pendence in those poor creatures ; and had thus sapped 


woman’s endueance. 


335 


the very foundations of manly dignity and conscious 
self-respect. If they sincerely wished to benefit those 
people, they should try to place them in such a position 
as would enable them to cultivate their self-esteem. 
“ Place them,” she said, “ above the need of charity, and 
enable them to work out their own salvation.” 

One of the ladies exclaimed — “ Why, bless me. Lady 
Hargreaves, you are really provoking ; we thought we 
were doing them good, and preparing them to endure 
the severities of the coming winter I In the name of 
common sense,” she continued, “ how could we change 
their position ? Do you wish that we should take all 
those ignorant and uncleanly beings to live with us in 
this Hall ?” 

Oh no,’^ said Lillian, “ by no means ; that would, if 
any thing, be aggravating the case — it would be making 
matters worse. But I will give you my view of the case. 
In our rambles to-day we passed a number of places that 
are now going to waste, and, indeed, worse than that, 
for they produce only noxious weeds and brambles, and 
harbor reptiles and vermin, while they are well adapted 
for profitable cultivation. Instead of being an eye-sore 
and a disfigurement, as they now are, they might be 
transformed into real ornaments of the place. And it 
would add much to the beauty of the locality, by having 
neatly finished cottages erected on them. You could 
then transfer the people we saw to-day to these cot- 
tages ; and by giving them a fair start, by a trifling out- 
lay at the first, you would soon have profitable returns. 
But, aside from any pecuniary profit to be derived from 
this source, and the social comfort and happiness of 
which you will have been the cause, the intellectual 


336 


LILLIAN; OR, 


development that would follow as a natural and collat- 
eral resul»t, would redound in a still greater degree to 
your honor. Here you will be erecting monuments 
worthy of your ambition ; for in all the future, in tracing 
back to discover the cause of results so vast and glori- 
ous, the pen of the historian and of the philanthropist 
will place upon their imperishable records ypur names 
among those they chronicle as deserving the admiration 
of coming generations. 



woman’s endurance. 


337 


CHAPTER XXXI. 

Not only were Lillian and her lady companions widely 
variant in their opinions on many subjects, but her hus- 
band, Sir George Hargreaves, coveted as his company 
was by an extensive circle of the neighboring gentry, 
also found subjects which, in the discussion of them, 
gave rise to clashing of opinion and sentiment. And 
some of these were of vital interest. It was often the 
case, that the more benevolent the purposes, and the 
more large-hearted the views of Sir George, the more 
bitterly he was opposed by some of the leading gentle- 
men of the neighborhood. To give the reader some idea 
of the wordy conflicts in which these parties sometimes 
engaged, we will just say, that Sir George had been 
deeply impressed with the neglected state and the gross 
ignorance of the laboring population on and around his 
newly-acquired estate. And not only were his own feel- 
ings thus wrought upon, but the mind of Mrs. Le Clair, 
and the noble and active-minded Lillian, were greatly 
exercised by the state of that unfortunate class. By 
their joint efforts, plans had been formed, and to some 
extent been put in operation, by which this deplorable 
state of things would be rectifled. Not only had Sir 
George and his wife had an eye to the mental and moral 
culture of the neighboring poor, but they had also formed 
the purpose of apportioning off the park and the pleasure- 


838 


I. illian; or, 


grounds — useless and wasteful appendages in their pres- 
ent form around their mansion — into small allotments of 
a few acres each, and erecting comfortable cottages on 
them, as residences for these hitherto neglected poor. 
Then, instead of these grounds being, as now, but waste 
places and retreats for destructive animals, thej would 
support a happy, industrious, and thriving population. 

Instead of this kind-hearted and benevolent project 
meeting with the entire approval of the neighboring 
gentry, it met with their most strenuous opposition, and 
at all their social gatherings he was bitterly rated for 
his consummate folly. We will give an instance. In 
October, on one of those soft delicious days for which 
that month is especially famed in the southern part of 
England, a large party of gentlemen had been out, and 
had seen choice sport, having met with more than ordi- 
nary success. Delighted with themselves for accom- 
plishing so much in their few hours of sport, a feeling 
of good-nature and careless ease pervaded the whole 
company. Any trifling incident called forth loud and 
boisterous laughter, and some of the party seemed ready 
to engage in any lark or piece of senseless mischief. 
By the road-side on which they were travelling were 
two or three neglected and dilapidated cottages ; and 
not far from these was a group of dirty, ragged children 
playing, or rather wallowing in the mud and dirt. On 
observing these children, one of the gentlemen, in a 
rough, commanding voice, called out to them to clear 
away, or he would shoot them, at the same instant 
bringing the butt of his gun to his shoulder and pre- 
senting it towards them ; when, to his horror, and to the 
consternation of every one of the party, the gun went 


woman’s endurance. 


339 


off. They were all stupefied for the moment, supposing 
that he had intentionally sent the heavy charge of the 
gun into the midst of the group of children. But their 
feelings were relieved on seeing all the children scamper 
off, their rags streaming in the wind. When they came 
to understand the cause of the alarming occurrence, they 
found that, raising his gun to his shoulder in a spirit of 
merriment, the trigger had been caught by the strap of 
the gentleman’s game-bag, and so caused the discharge ; 
and then, instead of the piece being in a direct line with 
the children when it went off, the strap pulled it aside, 
so rendering that harmless which otherwise might have 
proved a fatal disaster. This incident was the means 
of abating the exuberance of their spirits, and quieting 
the noisy clamor of their voices. • 

But, if the above incident had subdued the ardor and 
sportiveness of feeling of these gentlemen, it had not 
in the least affected the cravings of their keen appe- 
tites. On their arrival at the mansion of their host, 
when the varied viands were spread out before them in 
all their amplitude, little persuasion, it was found, was 
required to enable them to do justice to the abundant 
dainties provided. After having partaken of the rich 
repast, wines of fine flavor and of the choicest brands 
flowed without stint ; and the minds of both host and 
noble guests were soon oblivious to the requirements 
of prudence and decorum. Such a company, and qnder 
such influences, were likely to find subjects for playful 
banter, if not for more earnest demonsWations. And as 
the rather unwarrantable and novel proceedings of Sir 
George Hargreaves and his active-minded wife had 
somewhat disturbed the minds of the ladies and gentry 


340 


LILLIAN; OR, 


of the neighborhood, what so likely as this subject to 
occupy a prominent place in the discussions of the even- 
ing ? Earnest and pathetic appeals had been made, but 
had failed to deter them from pursuing a course dictated 
by the promptings of humanity. It had been urged that 
the plans and purposes of Sir George were fraught with 
mischief to the upper classes. To carry out those plans 
would be to mar the beauty and curtail the niagnifi- 
cence of those stately mansions and their surrounding 
grounds, which the present occupants had inherited, 
and which they were bound by the considerations of 
family memories and ancestral fame to hand down to 
their successors in the line of descent, undiminished in 
magnitude and undimmed in splendor. Here, then, was 
a subject connected with the social standing, and that 
touched the self-interest of each member of the company 
before us. The minds of these men were moulded in 
the principles of caste. Yet here was one of their own 
class, who had presumed to set at naught all the con- 
siderations that had hitherto prompted and governed 
the movements of their order. It was in vain that Sir 
George urged upon their attention, that wealth and in- 
telligence had a noble and imperative mission ; and that, 
if those upon whom had devolved such responsibilities 
proved recreant to their duty and false to their trust, as 
sure as night follows day, so sure will retributive jus- 
tice ^demand a reckoning, and the hand of the avenger 
will execute judgment. They could not revel in wealth, 
and boast of their knowledge, while at the same time 
they neglected to care for, the destitute poor around 
them, and be held guiltless before God and man. Their 
own individual interest, as well as feelings of national 


woman’s endurance. 


341 


pride, should arouse their sensibilities, and direct their at- 
tention to that numerous class, scattered over our estates. 
It would be really dangerous to our safety, if these men 
of rude intellect and still ruder passions should become 
fully sensible of the indignities we have inflicted, and of 
the wrongs they have endured at our hands, for so many 
generations. It was his impression that they had better 
begin to lead them by the silken cords of reason and of 
love, before that grand crisis arrives — the signs of which 
are gathering around us — when the distinction of class 
and caste will be swallowed up and lost in the crash of 
the very frame-work of society. 

At a late hour, and under the influence of a more 
genial spirit, the company separated for their homes. 
The clatter of horse-hoofs and the rumble of carriage- 
wheels awoke the echoes of the woods, and disturbed 
the stillness of the night for a short time, and then all 
was silent. 

A short time after the above gathering, the same, or 
nearly the same, party assembled at the mansion of Sir 
George Hargreaves. Though the strife of words had 
been warm and earnest on a number of occasions of late, 
yet it had not led to the estrangement of families. It 
was nearly the end of October, and, although the day 
might be said to be fine, still there were fitful gusts of 
wind, and black, pillowing clouds looming up in the dis- 
tance, giving premonitory tokens of coming winter. Sir 
George and Lillian, notwithstanding they Were fully 
aware of the views and feelings of their guests, on the 
subject of the moral and social improvement of the poor, 
evinced no desire to hide their light, but rather that it 
should be seen, and judged of by the influence it was 


g42 LILLtAN; OR, 

exerting, and that it might prove as a beacon, either tc 
lead or to warn. 

After having enjoyed a social chit-chat within-doors, 
they invited their company to take a stroll through the 
grounds that lay but a short distance from the mansion 
They had not gone far before they came to a number of 
cottages. These cottages had been built a number of 
years, but, by neglect, had become little better than 
buildings used for the shelter of domestic animals. 
Since, however. Sir George had come into possession 
of the estate, by a complete renovation they had been 
rendered both comfortable and respectable. And then, 
there had been added to each of these cottages a few 
acres of land, so that the occupants, by their own labor, 
were able to supply themselves with the common neces- 
saries of life, besides being able to pay a small rent. 
The inmates, both male and female, were neat and clean, 
and warmly clad ; and, added to all this, they seemed 
happy and cheerful, and their manners were in strict 
accordance with their station. The look of deep sig- 
nificance which each face assumed on the entrance of 
Sir George, and the ladies and gentlemen who were 
with him, was more than a compensation to him for the 
expenditure of means and labor that had accomplished 
all this. Sir George informed his guests that his wife 
had a number of these cottages on the estate, many of 
them newly built ; but he believed that these would 
prove fair*" specimens of the rest. He said that it had 
long been impressed on his mind that it was full time 
that the aristocracy of the land should take into their 
most serious consideration the case of the laboring poor 
upon their estates. They had, for a long series of years, 


woman’s endurance. 


343 


been accumulating vast wealth, the product of their 
patient toil, without giving a thought to their intellec- 
tual, social, or moral status ; while in so acting they 
had deprived themselves of a source of the highest and 
purest enjoyment. “ Tell me not of the ingratitude of 
the poor,” said he ; “ why, for my part, the silent greet- 
ing I received from those humble and simple cottagers 
is of higher value to me than thousands of gold and 
silver — where the full tide of their grateful feelings 
welled up from the deep fountain of their souls, while 
their countenances plainly told unutterable things.” 

The greatest and most laudable object of Lillian^s 
ambition was a large and a well-ordered school, located 
at some considerable distance from the above cottages. 
This school was in a sequestered spot, and surrounded 
by nature with her most variegated and beautiful handy- 
work ; while skill and a pure taste had given a high 
artistic finish to the whole. Close by there was a foun- 
tain, that sent forth a pure bubbling stream, where the 
youngsters slaked their thirst with nature^s nectar. The 
company were completely surprised and highly delighted 
in surveying this display of a combination of nature 
and art. But on entering the school they were spell- 
bound, seeing so large a company of children, great and 
small, so neat and clean, so comfortably clothed, and so 
orderly in their behavior. But the united and unquali- 
fied praise of the company was elicited on beholding 
their rosy, healthy cheeks, their bright, sparkling eyes, 
and their happy, cheerful, buoyant spirits. It was in- 
deed a scene which, under the circumstances, might 
gladden the heart of an angel. Here was exhibited the 
legitimate and most useful employment of wealth and 


344 


LILLIAK; OR, 


power ; — and this was a scene which the Christian and 
benevolent heart that planned and perfected it, could 
contemplate and reflect upon with a satisfaction angels 
might envy, and which is alike beyond the experience 
and the comprehension of those who move in the gay 
circles of fashion, or of those who patronize the race- 
course and the gaming-table. 

One would have supposed that the party could not 
have left this arena of moral training, without having 
imbibed something of the spirit that dictated its inaugu- 
ration and pervaded its government. And, indeed, a 
number of them did leave the place with a conviction 
of its present utility, and persuaded of its ultimate good 
effects. Soon, however, other feelings intruded, prompted 
by a few captious minds, which counteracted the con- 
victions of their better judgments. This will be more 
fully understood, from the conversation of some of the 
leading gentlemen of the party. We would observe, 
that among them was a colonel of a regiment of the 
British army : there was also an officer of the navy, a 
captain of a British man-of-war. These men were deeply 
imbued with the spirit that influences their class, and 
spoke with supreme contempt of any other business or 
profession than their own ; and they were especially 
fluent in discussing the merits of the plans and proceed- 
ings of Sir George and Lady Hargreaves. They con- 
tended that those plans were fraught with evil, and 
would only lead to evil ; and if generally carried out, 
would have the direct tendency to raise the lower orders 
in their own estimation ; and that then they would 
always be troublesome to manage, in whatever station 
' they were placed. The feelings of the colonel were 


woman’s endurance. 


345 


quite excited, as he exclaimed : “ Poor devils, what are 
they, and what would they be, without the upper classes 
to lead and direct them ?” He declared, that if he had 
to make the choice of lads for his regiment, between 
those tutored in the school of Lady Hargreaves and 
those ragged little urchins he was very near shooting 
the other day, he would, by infinite odds, prefer the 
latter ; for it takes more time, and is ten times more 
trouble, to break the spirits of these than of the former. 

Those ragged lads you catch wild out of the lanes and 
streets,” he said, “ may be like unbroken colts at first, 
but physical force is all that is required to break them 
in, which is of easy application. But in these educated 
lads, you have a moral and an intellectual power to 
contend with ; and I have found, in my military expe- 
rience, that ten of such had to be flogged to one of the 
other.” 

Here the navy officer chimed in, with a bluff, husky 
voice : “Aye, aye,” said he, “ that’s so ; I want none cf 
Lady Hargreaves’ pious, pet pupils on my ship. Give 
me the outcasts of society — those rough fellows that 
nobody cares for, or thinks them worth the trouble of 
looking after, except as jail-birds. What do I care, if 
they cannot tell me the difference between a bee or a 
bull’s foot ? All that I want out of them, is, to handle 
the ropes, and work the guns, and be able to stand fire ; 
and if they don’t or won’t do these, why, I know a way 
of making them.” 

Very great deference was paid to the opinions of these 
magnates in blue and red ; for a number of the gentle- 
men present gave a hearty assent to the views expressed 
by them — entertaining, like them, the opinion that the 
15 


346 


LILLIAN; OK, 


lower orders were of no further utility than so far as 
their physical powers might be turned to account, or as 
a kind of useful animal drudges. Sir George made sev- 
eral attempts to argue the point with them, and to prove 
that there were other pursuits besides those of the sol- 
dier and the sailor, and of an importance not inferior to 
those in sustaining and advancing the prosperity and 
greatness of the State ; and that to make men good 
citizens was the only sure way to make them stanch 
patriots. 

On the enunciation of the terms citizen and patriot, 
some of the gentlemen were beside themselves with 
rage, and the navy and military officers among the rest. 
In the most vehement manner, and with a virulent spirit, 
they cried out — “ Oh yes, we know where you were in- 
oculated with these detestable ideas ; you have imported 
them from across the water. We want no such importa- 
tions into this happy and highly-favored land.” 

Notwithstanding this antagonism, sometimes strenu- 
ous and bitter. Sir George and his able coadjutor Lillian 
kept on in the even tenor of their way, not in the least 
deterred in the accomplishment of their noble purpose, 
and in the fulfilment of their sublime mission ; and in 
this they had the encouragement and example of Mrs. 
Le Clair and Lady H. They too had consecrated their 
great wealth and rare talents to the pleasing and praise- 
worthy task of lightening the burdens of the .’aboring 
poor ; and of placing within the reach of their offspring 
the means for acquiring the necessary mental and moral 
qualifications to enable them to act their part on the 
stage of life, with credit to themselves and with profit 
to the world. They justly observed that the intellectual 


woman’s endueance. 


347 


and moral improvement of the operative and laboring 
portion of the community, would raise the country higher, 
not only in the estimation of all right-thinking men, but, 
what was infinitely more important, in that of Heaven, 
than all the victories achieved by navy or army since 
the nation began. 



LILLIAN; OR, 


34:8 


CHAPTER XXXII. 

How often are the ways of Providence shrouded in 
such deep mystery, that we are ready to conclude there 
is something unjust, if not unwise, in occurrences that 
take place under our observation I We will see an 
illustration of this in the painful incidents we are about 
to narrate. 

The reader is already fully informed of the varied 
vicissitudes through which Mrs. Le Clair has had to 
struggle during the whole of her eventful life ; but 
after her painful experiences, we have been happily re- 
lieved by seeing her emerge from a state of care and 
suffering to the enjoyment of comfort and the possession 
of wealth, and scattering the blessings of her bounty 
with an unsparing hand ; and it is delightful to con- 
template the vast amount of good that is sometimes 
accomplished by a single self-sacrificing and generous 
man or woman. A melancholy and sad sight it is to see 
a total eclipse of the sun, when that luminary is on the 
meridian, but it is infinitely more sad to see such man 
or woman arrested in a career redounding so greatly to 
their own honor, and so beneficial to their race. 

We have been greatly pained, through the whole 
course of our narrative, in narrating afflicting events in 
the life of Mrs. Le Clair ; but who, under happier aus- 
pices, completely absorbed by a spirit of goodness, had 


woman’s endueance. 349 

of late, with other able heads, been occupied in matur- 
ing in her mind a vast system to accomplish the great 
work her benevolent heart had proposed. But the la- 
bors of the day, as well as sleepless nights, began to 
tell upon her yet noble frame, and, added to the effects 
of an over-taxed brain, gave painful evidence that her 
endurance was not what it had been twenty years be- 
fore. Yet her active spirit would not allow her to take 
the repose her physical system now required. It was 
evident that fatal consequences would ensue from these 
long-continued labors, resulting in the exhaustion of 
mental force and prostration of physical energy. And, 
indeed, so it was ; for in this debilitated state of body 
and mind, which rendered her keenly susceptible to the 
attacks of disease, she made her accustomed call on a 
poor family, some of the members of which were afflicted 
with a malignant type of scarlet fever. On the night 
succeeding this incautious visit, she complained of pains 
in her head and soreness of throat. Still, she added 
neglect to her temerity ; for she refused, until too late, 
to seek the relief or to apply the remedies prudence 
ought to have dictated. Alas I she felt too self-confident, 
relying on the strength of her constitution and the vigor 
of her frame, which had survived so many shocks, and 
which she believed would now again rally their forces, 
and bid defiance to the present attack of disease. But, 
when too late, she was sadly undeceived, and then found 
the best medical skill completely at fault, and all reme- 
dial appliances of no avail. 

Before the disease had advanced many stages, Mrs 
Le Clair was deeply impressed with the conviction that 
her days were numbered, and that this sickness would 


350 


LILLIAN; OR, 


surely be unto death. Notwithstanding this pei’suasion, 
however, her mind exhibited more of joy than of any 
other emotion, so far as her own case was in question. 
But, when the thought of the many pensioners on her 
bounty crossed her mind, she exhibited intense anxiety. 
As she expressed herself, she was leaving them as sheep 
without a shepherd, and as lambs among wolves ; and 
soon, all her expenditure of time, and toil, and means 
would be, as it were, scattered to the winds, and the 
bright hopes and pleasing prospects in which many a 
poor family had been of late luxuriating, would be for- 
ever blighted. But so weakened, bodily and mentally, 
did she become in the progress of the fatal malady, that 
very soon that good and noble mind was a mere wreck, 
drifting at random in a sea of wild fancies and incon- 
gruous imaginations. But whenever a few lucid mo- 
ments were permitted her, the same praiseworthy objects 
and noble themes that had engaged her attention through 
life, were still the objects of her solicitude and the bur- 
den of her thoughts. 

That once noble frame and nobler mind at length 
succumbed to the fiat that had gone forth — the body re- 
turned to the dust, and the spirit to God who gave it. 

In the death of Mrs. Le Clair we behold the departure 
of no ordinary character. Her very being was closely 
linked with the destiny of many others ; and the inter- 
ests that held these parties in so close a bond of union 
were of so vital a nature, and at the same time so varied 
and far-reaching in their influence, that it was no wondei 
the consternation at the sad event was so wide-spread 
and so overwhelming. And then it must be remembered 
that it was not the wealthy and the noble of the neigh 


woman’s endurance. 351 . 

borhood who were to be affected by this sad bereave- 
ment, and who might have exhibited the appearance of 
sorrow by outward show and empty pageantry. No, it 
was the poor and the destitute of the neighborhood, 
whom Mrs. Le Clair had befriended, and who now ex- 
hibited the genuine emotions of their smitten hearts. 
That was a sorrowful sight indeed, that included in the 
rank of mourners the man and the woman of gray hairs, 
borne down with the weight of years, the man and 
maiden in vigorous youth, and children through all the 
gradations of age down to lisping childhood — all ex- 
hibiting in their countenances, with intense grief for the 
loss of their best earthly friend, despair of the future. 
These poor people had of late been living, as it were, in a 
new world, and had been breathing a heart-reforming, 
soul-purifying moral atmosphere. Mrs. Le Clair had 
been their great central luminary, diffusing light and 
gladness over the dreary wastes of their neglected 
hearts, and eliciting those moral and social virtues, 
which had bid fair to remodel the very structure of 
society itself. But now, that light had been stricken 
from the firmament of these poor people ; and from the 
bright and beauteous beams of day, by a sudden transi- 
tion, they had been launched into the gloom of midnight. 

But, perhaps the most distressing object presented to 
our contemplation, is the sorrow and anguish of Lillian — 
so suddenly and unexpectedly called to mourn the loss 
of her mother. A special messenger had conveyed the 
sad and startling intelligence to her. She was already 
in full travelling dress, and waiting for her carriage to 
make an already arranged visit to some of the neighbor- 
ing gentry. No sooner, however, did she comprehend 


352 


LILLIAN; OH 


the character of the distressing message, than she gave 
a few necessary and hasty instructions to her house- 
keeper, accompanied with a request for her husband to 
follow her. Laying strict injunctions on her coachman 
to drive with all speed to the next post-town, with a 
relay of fresh post-horses, she urged on her way to the 
estate where her beloved mother lay in so critical a con- 
dition. But, though it was early in the day when she 
started, owing to the distance and the state of the roads 
it was just at sunrise on the next morning when she 
arrived at the residence of her mother. But, wearied as 
she was with travel, and oppressed as was her mind 
with grief, quick was her passage from her carriage to 
the bedside of her beloved parent. Her keen eye soon 
discovered that her mother was hopelessly ill. It so 
happened, however, that Mrs. Le Clair was in one of 
her lucid moments, which alleviated somewhat the sor- 
row of Lillian ; for she at once recognized her daughter, 
and in a pathetic manner, and with gentle expression, 
said : “My own Lillian, my dear Lillian, you are just 
in time.” But, no sooner had she given utterance to 
these few affectionate words than her mind was again 
wandering. In vain did Lillian, by various little arts, 
endeavor to so fix the attention of her mother as to draw 
a few, rational words from her lips ; for the fell destroyer 
had nearly accomplished his work, and she could only 
be the passive and grief-stricken spectator of the closing 
melancholy scene before her. 

Just as the pure spirit of Mrs. Le Clair had taken its 
departure, and while the first burst of Lillian’s grief 
was at its height, her husband entered the room. The 
sorrow which he very naturally felt at the loss of Mrs. 


woman’s endurance. 


353 


Le Clair, was now diverted to Lillian, who was in a 
paroxysm of grief that threatened the stability of her 
mental powers. The heart and mind of Lillian seemed 
to be so constituted, that whatever passion had sway 
for the moment, it usurped the control of her whole 
being. Whether it was love, or grief, or anger, that 
was called into action, all other passions and feelings 
were instinctively held in abeyance. 

It was no wonder, under the circumstances, that Sir 
George was utterly at a loss how to act. It was true 
he had on one occasion seen his wife in a fit of anger, 
and was terrified at the sight ; but now, touched by a 
sympathetic feeling, he was subdued before the over- 
whelming and passionate grief of Lillian. It was the in- 
tensity of her love for her mother which gave such point 
and force to her sorrow, aided as it was by the peculiar 
traits of her mind. Eventful as had been her life, and 
trying as had been some of the scenes through which 
she had been called to pass, there had been no affliction 
which had made so deep an impression upon her heart 
as the one that she was now called upon to bear. It 
was feared by her husband, as well as by her attendants, 
that the worst consequences might follow this prostra- 
tion of her mental and physical powers j but what were 
the feelings of all when they were informed by the phy- 
sician that she was laboriug under an attack of the most 
virulent type of typhus fever, caught, no doubt, in at- 
tendance on her mother in her sickness, and intensified 
by the morbid state of her own miild I Be that as it 
may, it was soon found that neither the skill of physi- 
cians nor the virtues of medicines were of any avail. 
The disease, by its rapid strides, gave evidence that all 


354 


LILLIAN; OR, 


attempts were futile to stay its onward progress. Lillian 
had at length found an enemy she could not subdue or 
bend to her will. On the contrary, this foe soon laid 
her prostrate at his own feet ; for in a little more than a 
fortnight after the mournful ceremonies of her mother’s 
funeral she herself was numbered with the dead, and 
soon conveyed to the same resting-place, and laid by the 
side of her whom she had loved so well. 

It is in vain that poor purblind mortals speculate on 
the doings of Providence. Unquestioning submission is 
our duty. In this case, as well as in numberless others 
of a similar mysterious character, we should call to mind 
and apply the aphorism which Lady H. placed in her 
letters to Mrs. Le Clair, “ What thou knowest not now, 
thou shalt know hereafter.” 



woman’s endurance. 


355 


CONCLUSION. 

The above melancholy events, as might well be sup- 
posed, affected painfully the mind of Lady H., who was 
now far advanced in life, and of course not so able to 
grapple with circumstances as formerly. From the in- 
dications of her character, as they have been unfolded 
to our view in the foregoing narrative, it must have 
been perceived that she was a woman of undoubted 
piety, of great decision, and of strong convictions. To 
all outward appearance, the great purposes of her life- 
labor, and the objects of her Christian patience, had 
equally been doomed to partial disappointment, in so 
far as she had cherished the hope of placing her niece, 
Mrs. Le Clair, not only in possession of the patrimony 
of her father, but in the enjoyment also, through a long 
life, of her high position, in which she could employ 
her newly-acquired wealth in supplying the wants and 
soothing the sorrows of many a child of woe. But, un- 
der this painful bereavement, with the consequent pros- 
tration of her long-cherished hopes, there was no fretful 
questioning of the doings of Providence ; on the con- 
trary, a meek submission to the dispensation. She re- 
marked, that if she could be favored with a personal 
interview with her Saviour, and were permitted to inter- 
rogate Him on these mysterious doings. He would, no 
doubt, say to her, “ What I do thou knowest not now, 


LILLIAN; OR, 


S5G 

])ut thou shalt kuow hereafter” In this spirit of Chris* 
tiaii resignation to the divine will she lived but a few 
months, when she too was gathered to her home in 
peace. 

The same tomb incloses the precious dust belonging 
to these three choice spirits ; and it shall rest there, till 
it be reanimated, and raised in the full vigor and glory 
of the sons and daughters of God, on the morning of the 
resurrection. To die was gain to these three worthy 
women, but by their death a void was left in the locality 
in which they had been so honorably occupied, which, to 
all appearance, could not again be filled. Sir George 
Hargreaves, though so stanch and noble in his manhood, 
had finally to succumb to the overwhelming influence 
brought to bear upon him by the neighboring aristocrats, 
and all the improvements accomplished and in progress 
under the energetic and able administration of Lillian, 
were swept away. Things again reverted to their old 
condition, that of a moral and social wilderness. The 
nobility and gentry of the neighborhood breathed with 
more freedom, now that the elevation of the lower or- 
ders — by education, and consequent moral and social 
improvement — seemed to be indefinitely postponed. But, 
ah I could we have the opportunity of whispering in the 
ears 'of these self-deluded dupes, we would teTl thejn that 
the time is not far distant, when it will not be the influ- 
ence of a few women with which they will have to con- 
tend, but with the stern wills and determined energy of 
heaven-inspired men. These men may enlist on their 
side the sympathies, and perhaps the passions, of the 
masses ; and what then, if the pleadings of reason and 
the demands of justice should be disregarded ? Why, 


woman’s endukance. 


357 


the flimsy barriers of conventional lines may prove but 
as cobwebs before the united demonstration of an indig- 
nant nation. 

We cannot allow our narrative to close, without a 
parting allusion to the character and doings of the Rev. 
James Wilson, rector of the parish, and recipient of 
large revenues, as the incumbent of the church con- 
nected with the estate lately held by Mrs. Le Clair. 
We have already alluded to the apparent relief expe- 
rienced by the majority of the neighboring nobility and 
gentry on the death of the three ladies who have been 
the subjects of our narrative. Their fears had been ex- 
cited, and they had been tormenting themselves with all 
sorts of surmisings, as to what might be the results of 
the dangerous enterprise in which these benevolent 
ladies were engaged with so much zeal. But, perhaps, 
there was not a single individual in all that district of 
country, whose actions evinced so clearly as Wilson^s 
that he was now relieved from the restraint under which 
he had been held by the strong mind of the late Mrs. Le 
Clair. He now felt himself free to act according to the 
dictates of his own selfish and avaricious disposition. 
It is really a misfortune when a man of a kind and gen- 
erous heart is bound down and trammelled by a vicious 
system, to which he must shape his whole conduct in 
his intercourse with those from whom he must receive 
his support. There is almost sure to be engendered a 
spirit of bitterness, induced by the very workings of the 
system by which all the business transactions with each 
other must be regulated. But, in the Rev. James Wil- 
son we find a mind in every way formed, and ever ready^ 
to act in full accordance with the worst features of the 


358 


LILLIAN; OR, 


system now under consideration. With a mind stuffed 
with mental abstractions, with knowledge chiefly made 
up of technicalities, although well versed in book-logic, 
he was, nevertheless, utterly unable to read or to under- 
stand the logic of events. Hence, we may naturally 
suppose that he would prove a stickler for all his vested 
rights, and would, without any scruples, sternly demand 
his pound of flesh. The vicious system under which he 
acted, threw a safeguard around all his exactions, and 
his victims lay utterly helpless at his feet ; and to all 
their appeals to his better nature, he replied by referring 
them to the laws both of church and state, which secured 
to him his tithes. At the same time, he could not re- 
move the impression from the minds of his parishioners, 
that what he extorted from them by tithe-gathering, was 
nothing less than legal robbery. And at their social 
gatherings and convivial meetings, with a full glass, 
and a hearty good-will, they would drink their favorite 
toast — “ To the death of the black slugs that devour a 
tenth of the poor man’s earnings 1” 



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